The nation of New Zealand was founded in 1840 when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by indigenous Maori tribes and the British Government.
New Zealand is rich in opportunity for development of natural resources, including geothermal resources. In the 1990s a government-led drive to redress historic breaches by the Crown of the Treaty resulted in many native Maori tribes gaining greater control of their lands and other resources.
However Tauhara North No.2 Trust chose another pathway and was formed privately by members of the Ngati Tahu Tribal Trust to manage their land, comprising 326 hectares of farmland overlying the Rotokawa Geothermal System.
As well as farming, the Trust entered into a geothermal energy development with Mighty River Power Ltd (now Mercury Ltd), to build a power station on trust land.
