A Northland hapu has finally been given the green light by the Auckland Council to develop houses on coastal land near Mangawhai.
Te Uri o Hau has received council approval to develop 46 commercial properties at Te Arai, after years of opposition because a threatened species nests there.
In turn, the iwi will gift Auckland Council more than 170 hectares of land it secured in its Treaty Settlement.
Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust acting chief executive Deborah Harding says the trade-off sped up the process to get the go ahead.
She says the iwi has been waiting for 10 years to get approval and is very happy that the time has finally come.
Ms Harding says the commercial returns will benefit its 7000 tribal members in the future.
