Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am Te Arawa and Tainui on my mother's side and Ngati Porou on my Dad's side. Trained and qualified as an engineering geologist in my early days then transitioned into indigenous socio-economic and cultural development fields both in the private and public sector. I have three adult children and reside in Mourea with my partner Adrienne.
Why did you want to put your hand up for the board?
I was encouraged to by some very convincing elders and the kaupapa was good. Also Te Arawa went through a significant journey to get to this space so that encouraged me.
What attributes will you bring to the role as chairman?
Life experience is the best skill I can bring. I have academic qualifications and work experience over 40 working years across a number of sectors which includes considerable management and governance expertise. Hopefully this will help.
What do you like about this partnership model?
It talks about partnership and sets out how that might happen which is a good start. Now we have to walk that talk.
How do you feel the council has worked with Maori so far?
It has struggled over time as can be seen by the Environmental Court case they lost around the Rotoma wastewater treatment issue. It cost them a lot of goodwill with Maori and financially so there is a lot of room for improvement.
How will this improve the relationship?
Working together in good faith, goodwill and with mutual reciprocity are key to the partnership agreement. Get this right and there is no end to what can be achieved.
There was a fair bit of scaremongering that went on during this process of getting the model accepted by the council. Why do you think some residents are against such a partnership?
You will always have "naysayers" in the community. People who are so entrenched they will fear any changes. Our community is no exception. We will just have to work through it and make positive things happen.
Why shouldn't they fear it?
As they say "there is nothing to fear but fear itself". You can sit in a pot of water brought slowly to the boil, ignore the change and eventually die or you can do something about it. Thankfully a majority of the community are the latter.
How will this board make Rotorua a better place?
By upholding our side of the partnership with integrity, professionalism and mana and working towards the common good of all.
Are you pleased with the board Te Arawa has selected?
Very pleased. We have a well-balanced group in terms of age, gender and expertise. Certainly enough to hold our own in the partnership.
What are your goals in the first year?
To establish a solid administrative and management system as a foundation upon which to build our planning processes and activities. Our board will be hitting the deck running so ensuring we have the support, communication and reporting mechanisms in place will be essential.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
We will be living in a goldfish bowl and will be constantly critiqued, particularly by the recognisable naysayers. However, I believe there is much goodwill in the community for us to succeed. We have the skills, the desire and the heart for the job. Importantly, we are of the community for the community and this will always be.