Te Mata Park is part of the land associated with the ancestor Te Rehunga of Ngāti Ngarengare, a sub-tribe of Ngāti Kahungunu. The Park has a rich human history spanning several centuries. The upper parts of the Park in particular have a strong cultural importance to Māori. There is evidence of past settlement including pā sites and other earthworks. The Karaka groves in the upper Te Hau Valley area and Moa bones found on the slopes suggest intensive Māori settlement.

Te Mata Peak is designated an “Outstanding Natural Landscape” in the Hastings District Council District Plan 6. Protection of the present landscape is given the highest priority in the Plan, which defines it as: “the single most significant landscape icon in Hawke’s Bay, having District, Regional and National significance. It is the most prominent landmark in the eastern Heretaunga Plains with a distinctive silhouette skyline. It is a source of identity for both Hastings and Havelock North residents and Ngāti Kahungunu.”