Ngāti Hei Charitable Trust

Website Terms of Use

By accessing or using this website, you acknowledge and agree to these Terms of Use. Your engagement with this site is expected to reflect the tikanga, values, and collective responsibilities of Ngāti Hei.

Kaupapa and General Conditions

This website is maintained by the Ngāti Hei Charitable Trust (NHCT, “we”, “us”, or “our”) as a platform to communicate with registered iwi members and the wider community.

The website is provided on an “as is” basis. While we take reasonable steps to maintain accuracy, availability, and reliability, we make no representations or warranties — express or implied — regarding uninterrupted access, performance, or the completeness and accuracy of information published.

All users are expected to engage with this site in a manner consistent with tikanga Māori, including respect (manaakitanga), integrity (pono), and collective wellbeing (whanaungatanga).

Intellectual Property and Kaitiakitanga

All content on this website — including text, imagery, audio, video, graphics, logos, and documents — is protected by copyright and other applicable intellectual property laws.

NHCT either owns the rights to this material or has obtained appropriate permission for its use. All rights are reserved.

Content may not be copied, reproduced, published, distributed, transmitted, or adapted in any form without prior written consent from NHCT.

The knowledge, histories, whakapapa, imagery, and cultural material shared on this website are taonga. Users are expected to act as kaitiaki of this information. Any unauthorised use may result in legal action.

Iwi Registration

Only individuals aged 18 years or older may apply for registration through this website.

Applicants must provide accurate and complete information, including details supporting their whakapapa connection to Ngāti Hei. Providing false or misleading information may result in refusal or removal from the iwi register.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials. You must not share your password or allow any other person to access your account.

All applications are reviewed by the Ngāti Hei Iwi Registration Committee (IRC). Eligibility for inclusion on the iwi roll is determined at the sole discretion of the IRC, based on verifiable whakapapa and any other relevant criteria under the Trust Deed or governing documents.

The IRC may request additional information and may contact you for clarification. You will be notified once a decision has been made. Decisions of the IRC are final unless otherwise provided under applicable governance processes.

Restricted Iwi Content

Certain areas of this website are restricted to approved and logged-in iwi members. These areas may include member communications, pānui, reports, historical material, stories, and other content intended solely for registered members.

Restricted content is confidential. By accessing it, you agree:

Not to copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, or share the content in any format.
Not to transmit screenshots, downloads, or excerpts to any third party.
Not to use restricted material for personal, political, or commercial purposes.

Unauthorised disclosure of restricted content may result in removal of access and may give rise to legal consequences.

Iwi Member Directory

Approved members may access the Iwi Member Directory, which provides a searchable listing of registered iwi members.

The Directory exists to strengthen whanaungatanga and connection within the iwi. It must not be used for:

Commercial solicitation
Marketing of goods or services
Political campaigning
Harassment or unwanted contact

Any misuse of the Directory may result in immediate suspension or termination of access.

Members who choose to provide social media details do so voluntarily. NHCT is not responsible for interactions occurring outside this website.

User Conduct and Contributions

Where commenting or posting functionality is available, it is intended to support respectful kōrero and constructive engagement.

By posting content, you confirm that:

You are responsible for what you publish.
Your content does not contain defamatory, abusive, discriminatory, threatening, or otherwise unlawful material.
Your content does not infringe the rights of any third party.

All engagement must uphold the mana of individuals and the collective.

NHCT reserves the absolute right to edit, remove, or disable any content that it considers offensive, harmful, inappropriate, misleading, unlawful, or inconsistent with tikanga or community wellbeing.

We are not obligated to monitor all user contributions but retain full discretion over what remains published.

Electronic Communications

NHCT complies with the New Zealand Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 and other relevant legislation.

By registering as an iwi member, you acknowledge that you are providing inferred consent for NHCT to contact you regarding iwi matters, governance, events, reporting, and related communications by email, telephone, or post.

You may request to update or correct your contact information at any time.

Suspension or Termination of Access

NHCT reserves the right, at its discretion, to suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to the website where:

You breach these Terms of Use
You misuse restricted content or the Member Directory
You provide false registration information
Your conduct is considered harmful to the iwi, its members, or its reputation
It is necessary to protect the integrity, safety, or legal interests of the Trust

Such action may be taken without prior notice where required to protect the community.

Amendments

NHCT may update these Terms of Use from time to time. Continued use of the website constitutes acceptance of any updated terms.