Māori committees

Purpose

Mana Whakahono a Rohe or Iwi Participation Agreements were added to the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) in 2017 increasing the participation of Māori in council decision-making.  It is mandatory for a local authority to set up an agreement if it receives an invitation from an iwi authority and represents government’s intention to raise the profile of Maori participation in decision-making and to hold councils to account.

You can find out more in Mana Whakahono a Rohe guidance.

Key Areas

The New Plymouth District Plan and the Long-Term Plan (LTP) are the two major planning documents produced by NPDC. The District Plan is the primary document which manages land use and development within New Plymouth District. NPDC’s responsibilities include controlling the effects of land use activities, noise and the effects of activities on the surface of lakes and rivers.

Purpose

On 6th June 2007 New Plymouth District Council signed a legal agreement with Ngāti Tawhirikura A Hapū Trust regarding Te Rewa Rewa Reserve located on the northern side of Waiwhakaiho River and commonly known at that time as the Rifle Range. The reserve is of major significance to the hapū as tangata whenua. The committee helps NPDC provide encouragement and assistance to the hapū in their aspirations to protect the urupā and the historic Rewa Rewa Pā, on the reserve and to use other areas on the reserve for a variety of cultural and income-generating activities.

Purpose

The Local Government Act 2002 requires NPDC to take into account the relationship of Māori and their culture and traditions with water when making significant decisions in relation to water. The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) sets out how we manage our environment and contains specific clauses which ensure the relationship of Māori and the culture and traditions with their lands, water, sites, waahi tapu and other taonga are recognised and provided for.

In order to understand and address the concerns of Māori, NPDC has established a joint working party called He Puna Wai.

Key Areas

To work together in a spirit of partnership and collaboration.

Provide advice and input into the water master plan.

To develop a sustainable, long term strategy for the District’s three waters systems (drinking water, waste water & storm water).

Te Kaumātua Kaunihera o ngā Whare Taonga o Puke Ariki was established in 2004.

Made up of kaumātua (elders) from around Taranaki, the committee advises Puke Ariki on issues regarding Māori, the taonga Māori collection, and tikanga. The Kaunihera meets monthly and is open to kaumātua from all of Taranaki. They provide advice on the acquisition, care and appropriate usage of taonga Māori in the interests of all hapū/iwi throughout Taranaki and give direction on the implementation of tikanga practices within Puke Ariki and the rohe of Taranaki.

The Kaunihera Kaumatua meet monthly at Puke Ariki

Te Huinga Taumatua is a joint-committee made up of elected Council and iwi members, currently co-chaired by a representative from each group. The committee’s purpose is to provide strategic guidance and advice to NPDC on issues of importance to Māori. It also has delegated authority for matters including:

• road-naming and renaming
• naming and renaming of NPDC-administered reserves; and
• determination of Marae Development and Manaaki Urupā grant applications over $10,000.

The Committee has considered a range of a strategic and policy matters over the past year, including:

• Manaaki Urupā grant
• Māori wards
• Council’s strategic priorities; and
• approval of road names.

Te Huinga was also involved in discussions leading, in July 2020, to a Council resolution to establish a Māori ward ahead of the 2022 local triennial elections. Moving forward, NPDC will explore ways in which Te Huinga Taumatua can initiate reports on topics of relevance to Māori. 

Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre Aotearoa

Recognising its responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the gallery has established the advisory group Whiringa Toi. An expression of the gallery’s desire to enrich its expression of a Te Tiriti-based partnership, the group offers a forum for Iwi-Māori to participate in shaping the priorities, procedures and cultural activities of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre.

Made up of the Gallery Director and representatives from local Māori artists, NPDC and iwi of Taranaki, Whiringa Toi will also be central to the gallery’s desires and efforts to facilitate engagement, consultation and collaboration with Iwi-Māori and whānau whānui

Tapuae Roa is the regional economic strategy made up of NPDC, Stratford District Council, South Taranaki District Council, Taranaki Regional Council, business leaders, iwi and Venture Taranaki.

The Mission of Tapuae Roa is:

'Taranaki – where talent becomes enterprise/Kia eke panuku'.

It was formed in 2017, with an Action Plan released in April 2018 that identified four focus areas: energy, food, the visitor sector and the Māori economy.

Four ‘Foundations’ have also been identified: talent, enterprise & innovation; access and connectivity; vibrancy and liveability; investment.

The Action Plan recommends activity and investment in all eight areas and specifies a programme of action in detail.

Maori Economy Futures

This is the result of a fresh look at directions for participation of Māori and iwi in the economy.

Ngā Iwi o Taranaki are looking to focus on a new generation of Māori leadership through ensuring they have the technical and technology skills to participate in the modern economy.

The lead team is made up of:

• Peter Tennent (Chair)
• Wharehoka Wano (Deputy Chair)
• Sophie Braggins
• Robin Brockie
• Andrew Clennett                                              
• Te Pahunga (Marty) Davis                                 
• Mayor Neil Holdom
• David MacLeod
• Al Morrison
• Bronwyn Muir
• Kevin Murphy
• Liana Poutu
• Dan Radcliffe
• Scott Walls

Tapuae Roa website

Purpose

In 2008 NPDC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for an area of Port Taranaki (Port) owned land, centred about Ngamotu Beach. This area is known as PAMI, an acronym for Port Area of Mutual Interest. As well as the Port, the MOU involved Ngāti Te Whiti. The MOU was approved by NPDC on 18 December 2007 and signed by the CEO and Mayor.

In 2018 NPDC, Port Taranaki with Ngāti Te Whiti Hapū formed a Governance Liaison Group to helps NPDC provide encouragement and assistance to the hapū in their aspirations to protect the urupā and the historic sites, on the reserve and to use other areas on the reserve for a variety of cultural activities.

They formed two groups, the Governance Group and the Operations Group.

Operations group

The Group meets a minimum of four times a year.

 It is made up of

• two staff appointees of Port Taranaki (Ross Dixon, Asset Manager and Maureen Revell, EA)
• two staff appointees of NPDC (Juliet Johnson, District Plan Lead and Stuart Robertson, Manager Parks and Open Spaces)
• one appointee each from Ngāti te Whiti Hapū Society (Chairperson) and Ng``āti te Whiti Whenua Topu Trust (to be advised)

The Chairperson is elected at the first meeting in each calendar year (rotation to apply)

Decision to be by consensus and the expectation is that operational matters will be resolved. Matters of concern will be escalated to the PAMI Governance Group.

Governance Group

NPDC has appointed Cr Murray Chong to the PAMI Governance Group. 

Initiated in 2016, NPDC and iwi/hapū agreed to set up a group called Ngā Kaitiaki.

Made up of representatives from iwi and hapū, the purpose of the working group was to review the draft District Plan from a Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview) perspective. An independent planner provided professional planning advice and supported the group for the first three years.

Generally meeting once a month, Ngā Kaitiaki and NPDC officers worked on a new District Plan, resulting in the notification of the new Proposed District Plan in September 2019. NPDC is now working with iwi and hapū submitters on the Proposed District Plan, who continue to receive independent professional planning advice.

Moving forward, the Ngā Kaitiaki working group will continue to consider high level strategic issues in relation to the District Plan and district planning in general.