Privacy statement
1. Introduction
Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated (“we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 (where applicable), and other relevant legal obligations.
This Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, store, and share personal information when you interact with us, including through our website, our services, and our engagement with whānau, members, communities, partners, and stakeholders.
2. Who We Are
Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated is the iwi authority for Ngāti Toa Rangatira. We support the social, cultural, environmental, educational, economic, and community wellbeing of our iwi and the wider communities we serve through a range of services, programmes, and partnerships.
3. What Information We Collect
The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us. This may include your name, contact details, date of birth, demographic information, and any communications you send to us or submit through forms, enquiries, or registrations.
Where you apply for or maintain iwi membership, we may also collect identity information (such as a birth certificate or other supporting documents), whakapapa information, and any documentation required to verify eligibility. Similarly, when you apply for grants, scholarships, jobs, or services, we may collect information needed to assess your application, confirm eligibility, and process payments where required.
If you engage with our services or programmes, we may collect information about your participation and outcomes to help us provide support and improve what we offer.
When you use our website, we may collect technical and usage information such as your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and how you interact with our website. This may include the use of cookies or analytics tools.
We only collect information that is necessary for our functions and activities.
4. How We Collect Your Information
We collect personal information in a variety of ways. Most often, this is directly from you when you contact us, complete forms, register for services or events, or interact with our website.
We may also collect information from trusted service providers, partners, or contractors we work with, as well as from publicly available sources where appropriate. In some cases, we may collect information through cookies and analytics tools when you use our digital platforms. Where required, we will only collect information from other sources with your consent or where permitted by law.
5. Why We Collect Your Information
We collect and use personal information to provide and improve our services, process membership and applications, communicate with you about iwi and community matters, and support your participation in programmes and initiatives.
Your information also helps us meet our legal, contractual, and reporting obligations, administer payments such as grants or scholarships, and support planning, research, and evaluation. In addition, we use information to maintain the safety, security, and performance of our systems and website.
6. If You Do Not Provide Information
You are not required to provide personal information. However, if you choose not to provide certain information, we may not be able to process your application, deliver services, or fully support your engagement with us.
7. Information About Other People
In some situations, you may provide us with personal information about another person. If you do so, you must ensure that you have that person’s authority to share their information with us, and that they are aware their information will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Statement.
8. How We Use and Share Your Information
We only use your personal information for the purposes outlined in this statement or as otherwise permitted by law.
Where necessary, we may share your information with authorised staff and contractors of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, as well as related Ngāti Toa entities and organisations, to support the delivery of services and operations. We may also share information with trusted service providers such as technology providers, auditors, and advisors who assist us in carrying out our work.
In some cases, we are required to share information with government agencies, funders, or regulators to meet legal or reporting obligations. We may also share information with delivery partners involved in providing services or programmes, or with other parties where you have given consent or where disclosure is permitted or required by law.
Where possible, we use aggregated or de-identified information for reporting, research, and planning purposes.
9. Storage and Protection of Information
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from loss, unauthorised access, misuse, or disclosure. This includes the use of secure systems, access controls, and appropriate organisational safeguards.
Your information may be stored on secure systems located in New Zealand or with trusted cloud and technology providers, which may be based in New Zealand or overseas. Regardless of where information is held, we apply safeguards to protect it in line with our obligations.
10. Retention of Information
We retain personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by legal, funding, or recordkeeping obligations. When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy, or anonymise it.
11. Your Rights
Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request correction of that information if you believe it is inaccurate.
If you would like to make a request, please contact us using the details below.
12. Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website may use cookies and analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to understand how people use our website and to improve the user experience. This may include information about pages visited, time spent on the site, and the type of device or browser used.
This information is generally collected in a way that does not directly identify you. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, although doing so may affect how parts of the website function.
13. Social Media
If you interact with us through social media platforms, any information you share may be publicly visible depending on your privacy settings and the platform’s terms. We are not responsible for how third-party platforms collect, use, or store your information.
14. External Links
Our website may contain links to external websites for your convenience or information. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those websites, and we encourage you to review their privacy statements separately.
15. Children and Young People
Where our services or website involve tamariki or rangatahi, we take care to handle personal information appropriately and in accordance with our legal and ethical obligations. Where required, we will seek consent from a parent, guardian, or authorised representative.
16. Updates to This Privacy Statement
We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time to reflect changes in our services, systems, or legal obligations. The latest version will always be available on our website.
17. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Statement, or if you would like to access or correct your personal information, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated
PO Box 50355
Porirua 5022
New Zealand
Email: privacy@ngatitoa.iwi.nz
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at www.privacy.org.nz or on 0800 803 909.
Last Updated: April 2026