The council yesterday approved a relationship agreement between itself and the Waitaha Taiwhenua o Waitaki Trust Board, which has been reached after discussions which started in 2004.
The agreement has the blessing of Ngai Tahu's Te Runanga o Moeraki, which has a similar memorandum of understanding with the council.
Yesterday, Waitaha representative Anne Te Maiharoa-Dodds said the agreement had been achieved after a "long journey, many meetings and dialogue".
When it was signed, the agreement would represent recognition long denied".
The agreement was a "shining symbol of the acceptance of Waitaha which will now bring peace to us all".
Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton said the agreement was formal recognition of the status of Waitaha, bringing to fruition many years of discussions.
A report to yesterday's council meeting said the relationship agreement recognised the district contains two iwi - Ngai Tahu and Waitaha.
The council had a memorandum of understanding with Ngai Tahu through the Moeraki runanga but the relationship agreement with Waitaha recognised its standing within the district.
The agreement sets out mechanisms and processes to promote effective consultation and liaison between the council and Waitaha, including the council providing an annual planning calendar to give Waitaha early notice of upcoming issues.
Waitaha would also be notified of any unforeseen or extraordinary issues that may be of interest to it.
That would extend to Resource Management Act issues and resource consent applications which Waitaha may need to be consulted on.
