Mana Whenua and the Waitakere City Council

Purpose

The purpose of the Taumata Rūnanga relationship is to provide a structure to facilitate input into council decisions that have cultural significance to Māori.

Background

Te Taumata Rūnanga was set up in 1991. It is a standing committee of the Waitakere City Council, consisting of 10 mana whenua and other representatives, two members appointed by the council, and the mayor and deputy mayor (ex officio). The committee does not make representations on behalf of mana whenua, and does not serve as a consultation mechanism with them.

Roles

There is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Te Kawerau ā Maki. This iwi and Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei exercise tino rangatiratanga in the kaitiakitanga of the environment. They have service-level agreements with the council that provide for:

  • preliminary consultation in respect of resource consent applications
  • preliminary consultation on any council project of relevance to the iwi
  • detailed involvement by negotiation in council projects of particular interest and relevance to the iwi.

Waitakere City Council sponsors a regular engagement process with mana whenua and other urban Māori regarding district planning, policy development and service delivery that continues to develop a meaningful partnership as exemplified in the Treaty of Waitangi.

What happens

Te Taumata Rūnanga meets each month to discuss strategic/action plans and policy and it reports to council. Fields of activity of the Taumata Rūnanga are:

  • to ensure Māori values are considered in the council’s decision making
  • to ensure the council can meet its obligations to the tāngata whenua
  • to ensure the council considers the needs of the Māori community in effective service provision
  • to regularise communication between Māori and the council and its committees
  • to ensure the council is aware of and sensitive to issues of concern to the tāngata whenua and local Māori people.

Te Aho Tūmanako (Threads of Hope) is a recent initiative. It provides a clear framework for aligning the priorities of the Māori community with various council programmes, so the Taumata Rūnanga can develop collaborative strategies to address them.

Waitakere City Council is empowered by legislation to play a broad role in promoting the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well being of local communities. The iwi are moving from mana whakahaere to manaakitanga, i.e. from independence to participation.

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Te Taumata Rūnanga is an illustration of Article 5 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which gives indigenous peoples the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their right to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State. Other Declaration rights are also relevant here such as good faith consultation in relation to land and resources (Article 26).

What is working well

Te Taumata Rūnanga works because all parties listen to each other, they have developed good relationships which are appropriate in level, nature and extent, and there is real support for the initiative from both iwi and the council. The members are committed to the ongoing improvement of council services to Māori. They have appointed a representative on the council’s Strategy and Policy Standing Committee, and participated in a robust external review on how to improve the effectiveness of the Taumata Rūnanga. The powers of the Taumata Rūnanga have also been extended so the committee can now make its own submissions to external bodies and develop policy, strategy and goals for areas within its field of activity.

Te Aho Tūmanako demonstrates the council’s change of emphasis from compliance to creative collaboration with Māori.

Looking ahead

Te Taumata Rūnanga and council staff communicate about the processes for effective involvement of Māori in making decisions. This is critical for the advancement and wellbeing of mana whenua and taura here in the area. Successful engagement between Māori and council requires political and senior management support.

The iwi have to deal with multiple local and regional authorities, each with diverse relationship mechanisms and a different mix of proactive and reactive work. A spokesperson from a local iwi has said “Despite all our work we often find ourselves closer to the table, but not at it.”

The committee opens the way for iwi participation and input into the workings of the council, with engagement with individual iwi also provided for through MoU.

Documentation

There is a wealth of information about Te Taumata Rūnanga on the Waitakere City Council website.

10 July 2009

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