Govt Releases 2025 Treaty Settlement Delivery Report Showing Rising Progress

The report aims to strengthen transparency, public accountability, and long-term trust between the Crown and post-settlement governance entities (PSGEs).

The Government has released the Whole of System (Core Crown) Report on Treaty Settlement Delivery 2025, offering its most detailed look yet at how effectively Crown agencies are honouring commitments made through historical Treaty of Waitangi settlements. The report aims to strengthen transparency, public accountability, and long-term trust between the Crown and post-settlement governance entities (PSGEs).

Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka emphasised that accountability remains central to maintaining the integrity of Treaty settlements. “Accountability is critical to maintaining the integrity of settlements, and to ensuring that the Crown delivers on its obligations,” he said.

Progress Trends and Improved Delivery

The 2025 report shows measurable progress across Government. This year:

• 83.3% of settlement commitments are complete or on track, compared with 76.7% in 2024.

• Delivery issues decreased from 4.9% to 3.5%, indicating fewer delays or unmet commitments.

Officials note that improved coordination between agencies, increased attention from senior leadership, and clearer reporting expectations have all contributed to the lift in performance.

Despite these gains, Minister Potaka cautioned that settlement delivery is an ongoing responsibility:“It is positive to see this progress made in the last year; however, there is still work to do to strengthen Treaty relationships and ensure timely delivery of our commitments.”

New Insights from PSGEs for the First Time

A key feature of the 2025 report is the inclusion of feedback from post-settlement governance entities, providing the first system-wide snapshot of how iwi view Crown performance after settlements are concluded.

PSGEs generally described their relationships with Government agencies as constructive and forward-looking, particularly where agencies:

• engage consistently and respectfully

• provide timely information

• resource implementation adequately

Where these conditions are not met, PSGEs reported friction, resourcing strain, and uncertainty, which can impede progress and affect long-term partnership-building.

Including PSGEs in the reporting framework is seen as a major step toward balancing Crown-facing reporting with iwi experience on the ground, helping identify systemic challenges that may not be visible from within Government agencies alone.

Strengthening Future Treaty Relationships

Minister Potaka reiterated that durable Treaty relationships rely on trust, accountability, and shared commitment to future-focused outcomes.“Strong Treaty relationships are built on trust and partnership. This report helps keep those priorities front of mind for every agency.”

Looking forward, the Minister signalled closer monitoring of agency performance, with particular attention to:

• strengthening engagement with PSGEs

• improving responsiveness to iwi-identified priorities

• ensuring timely delivery of ongoing settlement commitments

The Report sets a new benchmark for system-wide accountability and is expected to inform both policy decisions and agency practices over the coming year.