Maori voice louder in Waitakere city

The Waitakere City Council has moved to give Maori more influence by letting them have a representative on the city's development committee.

Last month, the council voted against introducing Maori wards - to the disappointment of Mayor Bob Harvey and Deputy Mayor Carolynne Stone, who said the council was not practising the active democracy that it preached.

Since 1992 it has had a rare type of standing committee among the country's councils called Te Taumata Runanga, which gives council the Maori view.

Yesterday, the council decided to have a representative of Te Taumata Runanga on the city development committee and to review it after 12 months, with the prospect of Maori getting on committees for finance and operational performance and planning and regulatory.

Councillors discussed having two Maori appointments to committees.

But councillor Ross Dallow successfully argued it was better to take a small step now and make progress than to try too much too soon.

Mr Harvey was sure that this would lead to a more influential voice for Maori.

Runanga chairman Te Warena Taua said the move would reflect a better partnership between tangata whenua and their treaty partner.