Whangārei hapu representatives want more say in council decision making

Whangārei District councillor Phil Halse says strengthened partnership arrangements with Māori needed to happen by September.

Hapu on a Whangārei District Council Māori input governance group are working to strengthen local democracy participation.

The hapu on Te Karearea Strategic Partnership Forum are working on shifting from being a governance group that recommends on council matters of relevance to local Māori to one that instead has formal voting rights around the council decision-making table.

"Māori aspiration is about trying to get a Māori voice into council that has some teeth," Taipari Munro (Te Uriroroi/Te Parawhau/Te Mahurehure hapu – Poroti/Mangakahia), Te Karearea Strategic Partnership Forum (TKSPF) co-chair said.

"At present Te Karearea is simply a committee that may provide advice."

Munro said Māori on TKSPF were in favour of a formal council standing committee with decision-making voting rights.

The joint council/mandated hapu TKSPF formally met this week. The meeting was a first since the 2019 elections, roughly two months later than initially planned due to Covid-19.

Phil Halse, WDC councillor and TKSPF co-chair said the strengthened partnership arrangements needed to happen by September.

Council and mandated hapu representatives on TKSPF have each documented where they're coming from in making this work.

"To do this the partners need to work through respective and collective priorities, including how they can progress (or not) within the context and frameworks that each are subject to," Dominic Kula, WDC general manager strategy and democracy, said.

Hapu members will be working with their communities on aspects including how to integrate other Whangārei hapu who believe they are not already represented into council through Te Huinga and TKSPF.

Robust processes for ensuring representatives' selection on behalf of their hapu are also to be developed to ensure strong and consistent mandates for involvement.

Munro said mandated hapu representatives on a standing committee would need to have a district-wide perspective on their high-level governance group work, rather than considering only their specific rohe.

WDC existing standing committees include infrastructure committee and strategy, planning and development committee. Members of these committees are from among the council's publicly-elected councillors.

The process used to put together membership of the new standing committee is another area the mandated hapu representatives on TKSPH members will be working on.

TKSPF is made up of eight WDC councillors including mayor Sheryl Mai – and eight hapu representatives - one from each of eight mandated Whangārei district hapu/hapu clusters representing the district's hapu on council group Te Huinga.

These are - Nga Hapu o Whangaruru, Ngati Hau, Ngati Kahu o Torongare, Patuharakeke, Te Orewai, Te Parawhau, Te Waiariki/Ngati Korora/Ngati Takapari and Ngati Toki/Ngati Horahia. They were gathered to represent the voices of more than 124 hapu in the Whangārei rohe.

The forum's make-up is expected to change as it transitions towards a more formal governance group.

Māori comprise 28 per cent of Whangārei's population.