Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou

Ngāti Porou Registration Terms and Conditions

E ngā uri o Ngāti Porou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Hikurangi te maunga, ko Waiapu te awa, ko Ngāti Porou te iwi.
These terms and conditions govern your registration as a member of Ngāti Porou and your use of the registration platform and related services. Please read them carefully before submitting your application.
Last updated: July 2026 Version 2
1. About These Terms
1.1  These terms and conditions (“Terms”) apply to your registration as a member of Ngāti Porou through any channel, including the O-RA registration platform accessible at app.o-ra.io (“the Platform”), paper-based registration forms, or with the assistance of a Registry Officer.
1.2  By submitting a membership application, creating an O-RA account, or completing a paper registration form, you agree to be bound by these Terms.
1.3  These Terms are supplemented by, and should be read together with, the Ngāti Porou Registration Privacy Policy, which sets out how your personal information is collected, used, stored, and disclosed.
1.4  These Terms are subject to the Amended and Restated Trust Deed of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou (2018), as amended from time to time (‘the Trust Deed’). In the event of any inconsistency between these Terms and the Trust Deed, the Trust Deed prevails.
1.5  These Terms are separate from O-RA’s own platform Terms and Conditions, which govern your use of the O-RA software. Both sets of terms apply to your use of the Platform.
2. Definitions
2.1  In these Terms, unless the context requires otherwise:
  • “you” and “your” refer to you as a person applying for, or holding, membership of Ngāti Porou;
  • “we”, “our”, and “us” refer to Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou (TRONP);
  • “Membership Committee” means the Ngāti Porou Membership Committee established under rule 4 of the First Schedule to the Trust Deed;
  • “Register” means the Ngāti Porou Register maintained in accordance with the First Schedule to the Trust Deed;
  • “O-RA” means the Original Registry Application, the online platform operated by Identity Connection Evolution Limited that hosts the Register on our behalf;
  • “Rohenga Tīpuna” means the groupings of hapū listed in the Ninth Schedule to the Trust Deed;
  • “Trust Deed” means the Amended and Restated Trust Deed of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou (2018), as amended from time to time.
3. Eligibility for Membership
3.1  To be eligible to apply for membership of Ngāti Porou, you must be of Ngāti Porou descent. Membership is determined by whakapapa, not by residence, citizenship, or any other criteria.
3.2  Your application must contain the information required by rule 3.1 of the First Schedule to the Trust Deed, including:
  • Your full name, date of birth, and physical address;
  • The name of the Rohenga Tīpuna to which you claim affiliation for the purposes of elections;
  • Evidence of your whakapapa connection to Ngāti Porou, including whakapapa details of a minimum of three generations; and
  • Such other evidence as TRONP may from time to time require.
3.3  You must also provide a copy of one of the following forms of current, New Zealand-issued identification: birth certificate, passport, driver licence, or firearms licence.
3.4  If you are applying via paper form, you must complete the Declaration form (signed, dated, and witnessed by a person aged 18 years or over) and the Certification of Whakapapa.
4. Application Process
4.1  Applications may be submitted online through the Platform, by paper form (available from any TRONP office, by post, or from the TRONP website), or with the assistance of a Registry Officer who will enter details into the Platform on your behalf.
4.2  All applications are reviewed by TRONP administration staff for completeness before being submitted to the Membership Committee for consideration, in accordance with rule 4.3 of the First Schedule.
4.3  The Membership Committee will consider your application and make a decision as to whether it should be accepted, in accordance with rule 4.4 of the First Schedule. The Committee’s decision relates to both your status as a member of Ngāti Porou and your affiliation to the Rohenga Tīpuna you have nominated.
4.4  If your application is approved, you will be notified either via email or in writing and your details will be recorded on the Register (rule 4.5 of the First Schedule).
4.5  If your application is declined, you will be notified in writing with the reasons for the decision (rule 4.6 of the First Schedule). You may reapply on the basis of new evidence not previously submitted or dispute the decision in accordance with clause 27 of the Trust Deed (rule 4.7 of the First Schedule).
4.6  TRONP will use reasonable endeavours to process applications promptly. However, processing times may vary depending on the volume of applications and whether further information is required. The Membership Committee meets bi-monthly.
5. Your Obligations
5.1  You warrant that all information you provide in connection with your registration is true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge.
5.2  In accordance with rule 6.3 of the First Schedule, it is your responsibility (or, for persons under 18 years of age, the responsibility of a parent or guardian) to ensure that your name is included on the Register and that your contact details are correct and kept up to date.
5.3  You must notify us as soon as practical, if any of your details change, including your name, address, phone number, or email address. You can update your details by logging in to the Platform, completing an update form (available from any TRONP office or by contacting registrations@tronp.org.nz), or by calling 0800 676 768.
5.4   If we are unable to contact you (for example, due to returned mail or a bounced email), we may attempt to reach you through alternative contact methods held on your profile. If we are unable to make contact, your profile may be flagged accordingly until your details are updated.
5.5  You must not:
  • Provide false, misleading, or fraudulent information in your application or at any time during your membership;
  • Submit an application on behalf of another person without their authority or, in the case of tamariki under 18 years of age, without the authority of a parent or guardian;
  • Use the Platform or any services associated with the Register for any unlawful or improper purpose; or
  • Interfere with the operation of the Platform or attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of it.
6. Accuracy of Information
6.1  The integrity of the Register depends on the accuracy of the information provided by applicants and members. You acknowledge that your application includes a declaration that the information you have provided is true and correct.
6.2  If TRONP becomes aware, at any time, that information provided in connection with an application or membership may be materially inaccurate, incomplete, or fraudulent, TRONP reserves the right to:
  • Request further evidence or clarification from you;
  • Refer the matter to the Membership Committee for review;
  • Suspend your access to the Platform pending investigation; or
  • In serious cases, remove or archive your profile from the Register, subject to you being given a reasonable opportunity to respond before any final decision is made.
6.3 Any dispute arising from a decision under clause 6.2 may be referred for resolution in accordance with clause 27 of the Trust Deed.
7. Account Security (Online Registration)
7.1  If you register through the Platform, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials (email address and password).
7.2  You must not share your login credentials with any other person. Each O-RA account is for use by a single individual. Where you register tamariki (under 18 years of age) within your account, you remain responsible for the security of that account.
7.3 You must notify us as soon as possible if you suspect that your account has been accessed without your authorization, or if your login credentials have been compromised.
7.4 TRONP is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to keep your login credentials secure.
8. Registration of Tamariki
8.1  Tamariki aged 17 years and under may be registered by a parent or authorised whānau member. In accordance with rule 6.3 of the First Schedule, it is the responsibility of a parent or guardian to ensure a person under 18 years is included on the Register.
8.2  The person registering a tamaiti on their behalf warrants that they have the appropriate authority to do so and that the information provided is true and correct.
8.3 Tamariki who are registered are not eligible to vote in elections until they reach 18 years of age and are recorded as an adult member on the Register.
8.4 Once a tamaiti turns 18, they are encouraged to create their own independent O-RA account and apply for membership in their own right.
9. Rohenga Tīpuna Affiliation
9.1  Each member of Ngāti Porou must nominate one Rohenga Tīpuna to which they choose to register for the purposes of elections (rule 2.2 of the First Schedule). Although you may belong by whakapapa to more than one Rohenga Tīpuna, only one may be recorded on the Register.
9.2  Your choice of primary marae determines your Rohenga Tīpuna affiliation.
9.3 You may apply to change your Rohenga Tīpuna by applying in writing to TRONP, in accordance with rule 5.1 of the First Schedule.
10. Register Inspection and Information Sharing
10.1  In accordance with rule 7.3 of the First Schedule, the Register is available for inspection during business hours by all adult members of Ngāti Porou, subject to any policies adopted by TRONP for the protection of private information.
10.2   In accordance with rule 7.4 of the First Schedule, TRONP may provide your name and address to the marae/hapu/taurahere with which you are affiliated. Marae/ hapu/ taurahere that receive this information may only use it for purposes in connection with that marae/hapu/ taurahere.
10.3 Where you have given your authorisation, TRONP may provide information to government agencies such as Statistics New Zealand and the Electoral Office.
11. Consent to Share Government Identification
11.1  During the registration process on the Platform, you may be asked whether you consent to sharing your Government-issued identification data with other iwi organisations whose registers are hosted within O-RA.
11.2   This consent is entirely optional. Choosing not to consent will not affect your access to the Platform, your membership application, or your relationship with Ngāti Porou or any hapū.
11.3 If you do consent, your government identification data will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, the O-RA kawa and tikanga applied to all data in the software (Mana, Whanaungatanga, Kōtahitanga, Rangatiratanga, Whakawhāiti, and Kaitiakitanga), and TRONP’s data protection policies.
11.4 You may withdraw your consent at any time by updating your preferences in the Platform or by contacting us.
12. Communications
12.1  By registering, you agree that TRONP may contact you using the contact details you have provided for purposes related to your membership, including application status updates, election notices, pānui, and other Ngāti Porou communications.
12.2  You may indicate your preferred contact method (email or post) through the Platform or by notifying us.
12.3 It is your responsibility to ensure that your contact details are current. If correspondence is returned or undeliverable, we will attempt to contact you through alternative means where available.
11.4 You may withdraw your consent at any time by updating your preferences in the Platform or by contacting us.
13. Intellectual Property
13.1  All content on the TRONP website ngatiporou.com/registration, including text, graphics, logos, images, and software, is the property of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou or its licensors and is protected by New Zealand intellectual property laws.
13.2  The O-RA platform, its branding, software, and related materials are the property of Identity Connection Evolution Limited and are used by TRONP under licence.
13.3 You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content on the Website or Platform without the prior written consent of the relevant owner.
14. Limitation of Liability
14.1  To the maximum extent permitted by New Zealand law, TRONP does not accept liability for:
  • Any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in information entered by you or on your behalf, including information migrated from previous registration systems;
  • Any interruption, suspension, or unavailability of the Platform or Website, whether due to maintenance, technical issues, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control;
  • Any loss or damage arising from unauthorised access to your account due to your failure to keep your login credentials secure; or
  • Any indirect, consequential, or incidental loss or damage arising from your use of the Platform, the Website, or the registration process.
14.2  Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under New Zealand law, including under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.
14.3 TRONP does not warrant that the Platform or Website will be error-free, uninterrupted, or free from harmful components. The Platform is provided by O-RA, and any service-level commitments are governed by TRONP’s contract with O-RA.
15. Privacy
15.1  Your personal information is collected, used, stored, and disclosed in accordance with the Ngāti Porou Registration Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act 2020.
15.2  By submitting an application, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the Privacy Policy, and you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in that policy.
16. Deceased Members
16.1  When TRONP is notified of a member’s passing, the member’s profile will be updated to reflect their status in accordance with our procedures. Mail-outs and electronic communications will be ceased.
16.2  Whakapapa information may be retained as part of the collective record, in recognition of its significance as a shared taonga.
16.3  Whānau may contact us to notify a bereavement or to enquire about the status of a deceased member’s profile.
17. Dispute Resolution
17.1  Any dispute arising regarding membership shall be referred in the first instance to the Membership Committee, in accordance with clause 27.1 of the Trust Deed.
17.2  All disputes must be submitted to the Membership Committee by notice in writing. The Membership Committee shall acknowledge receipt within 10 working days (clause 27.2 of the Trust Deed).
17.3  The Membership Committee will provide its findings and decision in writing to the submitter. If the matter is not resolved by the Membership Committee, it may be referred to the Trustee, who will make a final decision (clause 27.3 of the Trust Deed).
18. Changes to These Terms
18.1  TRONP may update these Terms from time to time. The revised version will be published on the Website and the Platform, with the date of the latest update noted above.
18.2  By continuing to use the Platform or maintain your registration after any changes, you acknowledge and accept the updated Terms.
18.3  Where a change materially affects your rights or obligations, we will take reasonable steps to notify you.
19. Governing Law
19.1  These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New Zealand.
19.2  Any legal proceedings arising from these Terms shall be brought in the courts of New Zealand.
20. Contact Us
20.1  If you have any questions about these Terms, your registration, or your membership, please contact:
Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou
Registrations
PO Box 394
Gisborne 4010
Phone: 0800 676 768 and Email: registrations@TRONP.org.nz