South Wairarapa District Council's draft Māori policy will be discussed tonight. Photo / Emily Ireland
Emily Ireland, Local Democracy Reporter
South Wairarapa District Council is seeking the endorsement of a refreshed Māori policy that will ingrain the use of te reo within the organisation and community.
The Māori policy was first adopted in June 2009 and applies to all council work, elected members and staff.
The current two-page document has no mention of te reo use but mentions the underlying principles of the Treaty of Waitangi: partnership, participation and protection.
Although it is meant to be reviewed every three years, it has been almost nine years since the policy was refreshed.
Under the five-page draft policy, the council will be obligated to provide opportunities for staff, elected members and appointed members to “learn, understand and speak te reo Māori”.
“South Wairarapa District Council acknowledges te reo me ōna tikanga Māori [the language and its cultural practices] and, specifically, te reo Māori as an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand and will promote its use within the organisation and the wider community.”
Under the draft policy, the council would also ensure Māori cultural values, protocols and practices were respected and incorporated into council activities, events and decision-making processes.
The council would seek advice and direction from the appropriate persons on correct place names for use in its documents.
The draft policy will be discussed at tonight’s Māori Standing Committee (MSC) meeting.
If the committee endorses the document, it will be presented for adoption at the Strategy Working Committee meeting on February 14.
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