Mount Taranaki in New Zealand’s North Island is set to get the same legal rights as a person. This means harming the sacred mountain in any way is legally the same as harming the tribes that will guard it, along with the government, The New Zealand Herald reported on Thursday.
Mount Taranaki is the country’s most perfectly formed dormant volcano. It is 1,20,000 years old and last erupted in 1775.
This is the third geographic site in New Zealand to get a “legal personality, in its own right” and the same protections as a citizen.
Earlier this week, a Record of Understanding was signed to grant Mount Taranaki the legal status of a human being. The agreement offers “the best possible protection for the landmark”, which Minister for Treaty Negotiations Andrew Little said had become even more popular with tourists since travel magazine Lonely Planet named the Taranaki region the second best place to visit in the world last year.
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