On 9 September 1996 Christchurch Polytechnic and Te Rūnangā o Ngāi Tahu signed a partnership agreement based on the premise that Ngāi Tahu are signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi and that the Polytechnic is a Crown funded institution. The agreement recognises the mana whenua status that held Ngāi Tahu locally and an acknowledgement that Ngāi Tahu have a duty of manaaki ngā manuhiri.
The intent of the agreement is to create opportunities that are beneficial to both partners and to give effect to the principles of the partnership embodied in the Treaty of Waitangi.
The partnership principle embraced by CPIT has extended into active involvement as a partner in Te Tapuae o Rehua. Rehua is the eldest son of Rangi and Papatūānuku and he is the repository of sacred knowledge. He inhabits the uppermost heaven and to pursue him and that which he represents is to pursue knowledge and understanding.
Te Tapuae o Rehua is a joint venture between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Lincoln University, the University of Canterbury, Otago Polytechnic and Otago University.
Te Puna Wānaka also has a strong relationship with the Trades Innovation Institute (TII). CPIT established the first Māori Trades Training school in NZ and has a continued commitment to providing a wide range of trades to Māori students.
Te Puna Wānaka has a strong relationship with the Faculty of Commerce with programmes that are specifically designed to meet management and administration needs of contemporary Māori organisations. Students are able to take a range of options in this programme that may lead to areas such as Iwi management and Public Policy Administration.