RNZ reports –
An iwi representative on two West Coast councils has rejected the idea that mayors would represent Māori interests on the government’s proposed new boards, which replace regional councils.
No – PoO’s reading of the proposal is that they would represent the interests of all citizens in their respective cities, towns or districts.
Ethnicity and genealogy (at first blush) no longer would be a consideration in representation arrangements.
Asians are unlikely to complain about this, or about mayors no longer representing their interests – at least, not on the West Coast.
About 4 per cent of that region’s population are Asian; 13 per cent are Māori.
Under the government’s proposals the mayors would form 11 Combined Territories Boards.
These would assume responsibility for all the roles, functions, and obligations that regional councils and councillors have now.
Existing arrangements for Māori engagement and participation would continue
Makaawhio chairperson Paul Madgwick is bothered about the implications for Treaty-based privileges for Maori, although he says he agrees local government reform is well overdue and there’s no question a new model is needed.
“Regional councils have become bloated in recent years, although a lot of that has been in response to more and more government demands and red tape imposed on the local sector.”
But the government’s discussion paper was ‘”a little glib” about Treaty obligations and Māori representation, Madgwick said.
“Poutini Ngai Tahu have had a seat on the West Coast Regional Council’s resource management committee for about 35 years. This council was a pioneer in terms of valuing Māori representation at the table and it has worked well for three decades.”
The government’s idea that Māori would in future be represented on the regional board by the mayor of their district was “specious”, Madgwick said.
“They can’t possibly represent the values of manawhenua. Plus we have the Mana Whakahono a Rohe, which is a statutory agreement with the WCRC and the first signed in New Zealand, set up under the RMA, so where does that fit with these plans?”
This agreement was the focus of a fuss on the West Coast a few months ago when the West Coast Regional Council was accused of giving Māori too much say in planning and resource consents.
The council had reworded more than 20 clauses in its Mana Whakahono a Rohe partnership document with Poutini Ngai Tahu, mainly to clarify how it will work in practice.
Former chair Allan Birchfield, who signed the original document in 2020, contended it put iwi on the same governance level as the council.
“I am voting against (the amendments) because they will give iwi full control of the Council’s consenting and compliance role under the RMA,” he told a council meeting.
Ngāti Waewae leader Francois Tumahai – one of two iwi reps on the council – said Birchfield was deluded.
The Te Ao News report at that time said the agreement spelled out how staff would involve manawhenua in resource consenting – an RMA requirement.
“The council will treat Poutini Ngāi Tahu as an affected party for all applications … where there is potential for adverse cultural effects, unless it is demonstrated otherwise,” an expanded clause says.
Council staff would decide if adverse effects were likely by talking to the environmental agencies of the region’s two Rūnanga, Poutini Ngai Tahu partnership manager Ashley Stuart said.
A new clause in the agreement says the council will also “strongly encourage” people applying for resource consents to talk to mana whenua themselves early on, through the iwi’s environmental consultancies.
Without a letter of approval from the iwi, the council will treat the consent as ‘limited notified’, adding potential costs and delays.
Birchfield said he had signed the Mana Whakahono agreement in 2020 on the understanding it was a consultation document that would help to speed up and lower the cost of consenting, but this had turned out not to be the case.
Tumahai said many factors were causing the delays and the clamour over consent delays was coming from a handful of miners who had not been successful with their applications.
Iwi leaders have privileged arrangements in Auckland, too.
The Auckland Council says Māori take part in decision-making in a number of ways:
Ethnicity and genealogy (at first blush) no longer would be a consideration in representation arrangements.
Asians are unlikely to complain about this, or about mayors no longer representing their interests – at least, not on the West Coast.
About 4 per cent of that region’s population are Asian; 13 per cent are Māori.
Under the government’s proposals the mayors would form 11 Combined Territories Boards.
These would assume responsibility for all the roles, functions, and obligations that regional councils and councillors have now.
Existing arrangements for Māori engagement and participation would continue
Makaawhio chairperson Paul Madgwick is bothered about the implications for Treaty-based privileges for Maori, although he says he agrees local government reform is well overdue and there’s no question a new model is needed.
“Regional councils have become bloated in recent years, although a lot of that has been in response to more and more government demands and red tape imposed on the local sector.”
But the government’s discussion paper was ‘”a little glib” about Treaty obligations and Māori representation, Madgwick said.
“Poutini Ngai Tahu have had a seat on the West Coast Regional Council’s resource management committee for about 35 years. This council was a pioneer in terms of valuing Māori representation at the table and it has worked well for three decades.”
The government’s idea that Māori would in future be represented on the regional board by the mayor of their district was “specious”, Madgwick said.
“They can’t possibly represent the values of manawhenua. Plus we have the Mana Whakahono a Rohe, which is a statutory agreement with the WCRC and the first signed in New Zealand, set up under the RMA, so where does that fit with these plans?”
This agreement was the focus of a fuss on the West Coast a few months ago when the West Coast Regional Council was accused of giving Māori too much say in planning and resource consents.
The council had reworded more than 20 clauses in its Mana Whakahono a Rohe partnership document with Poutini Ngai Tahu, mainly to clarify how it will work in practice.
Former chair Allan Birchfield, who signed the original document in 2020, contended it put iwi on the same governance level as the council.
“I am voting against (the amendments) because they will give iwi full control of the Council’s consenting and compliance role under the RMA,” he told a council meeting.
Ngāti Waewae leader Francois Tumahai – one of two iwi reps on the council – said Birchfield was deluded.
The Te Ao News report at that time said the agreement spelled out how staff would involve manawhenua in resource consenting – an RMA requirement.
“The council will treat Poutini Ngāi Tahu as an affected party for all applications … where there is potential for adverse cultural effects, unless it is demonstrated otherwise,” an expanded clause says.
Council staff would decide if adverse effects were likely by talking to the environmental agencies of the region’s two Rūnanga, Poutini Ngai Tahu partnership manager Ashley Stuart said.
A new clause in the agreement says the council will also “strongly encourage” people applying for resource consents to talk to mana whenua themselves early on, through the iwi’s environmental consultancies.
Without a letter of approval from the iwi, the council will treat the consent as ‘limited notified’, adding potential costs and delays.
Birchfield said he had signed the Mana Whakahono agreement in 2020 on the understanding it was a consultation document that would help to speed up and lower the cost of consenting, but this had turned out not to be the case.
Tumahai said many factors were causing the delays and the clamour over consent delays was coming from a handful of miners who had not been successful with their applications.
Iwi leaders have privileged arrangements in Auckland, too.
The Auckland Council says Māori take part in decision-making in a number of ways:
- Houkura, formerly known as the Independent Māori Statutory Board, may appoint people to some of the committees of the Governing Body.
- Auckland Council takes part in co-governance bodies such as the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.
- The Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum is made up of representatives of the 19 iwi and hapū in Tamaki Makaurau. It partners with the Crown and Auckland Council on national and region-shaping matters that require a collective voice.
At the 2023 Census,
- 203,544 usual residents in Auckland identified as Māori (12.3% of Auckland’s population).
- 518,178 usual residents in Auckland identified with an Asian ethnicity (31.3% of Auckland’s population).
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But they have no special Treaty-based arrangements – at least, none that PoO is aware of – to ensure their voice is heard. They just vote and hope for the best, like most citizens.
The same goes for the Pacific Peoples, who also outnumber Māori in Auckland.
But let’s get back to Paul Madgwick.
He said the local government reforms must be much broader than those set out in the government’s proposals.
“It needs to put the blowtorch on district councils too. “
Is the nature and extent of race-based representation the sort of thing he thinks should be tackled when he calls for a broader reform sweep?
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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