Hui for Te Arawa candidates

Te Uru o Te Whetu (Fred) Whata has been appointed uncontested to the Te Arawa Partnership Board as the koeke (elders') representative. Photo / File

Iwi members will have a chance to meet and hear the candidates who are in the running to be part of the Te Arawa Partnership Board.

Meetings have been organised involving the 25 people who have been nominated for the 14 seats on the board following a Rotorua Lakes Council decision in May to have iwi representation in council.

The first will be held on Sunday at Te Papaiouru Marae, Ohinemutu followed by a second meeting at the GHA Centre on Fenton St next Friday.

There were originally 27 candidates nominated but a withdrawal in the koeke seat has left Te Uru o Te Whetu (Fred) Whata appointed uncontested. The 80-year-old received a Queen's Service Medal for his services to Maori in June and has spent more than 60 years as a trustee on various Maori trusts and incorporations.

"It's been a hard road for us, it was a challenge to be part and parcel of the district council," Mr Whata told the Rotorua Daily Post yesterday.

"I think there are a lot of issues in the council there to be looked at and we can contribute," he said.

Mr Whata said there was a good cross-section of people who wanted to be part of the partnership with the council.

"I've noticed a lot of young people have put their names forward. I know most of them. They will give a lot of input into matters pertaining on the board, especially what is happening in the community," he said.

"I have received a QSM, the knowledge I have about Te Arawa iwi, the work I have done in the 60 years with the old people, walking the talk with the old people - that experience I will be able to contribute."

The partnership board will consist of a cross-section of Te Arawa including koeke (elders), rangatahi (youth), Ngati Whakaue, Te Arawa hapu and iwi, Maori land trusts, incorporations and pan-Te Arawa entities. Under the partnership, two members of the board will be appointed and given voting rights to the council's two key committees, the Strategy, Policy & Finance and Operations & Monitoring committees. The council will be able to veto those appointments if it thinks them unsuitable.

Voting is now open and papers have been sent out to registered members, who are 18 and over, on the Te Arawa Lakes Trust register.

Te Arawa Partnership working party member Arapeta Tahana encouraged iwi members to attend the upcoming meetings.

"This will be a great opportunity for whanau and iwi to meet the candidates and get an understanding of the skills, passion and experience they can bring to representing Te Arawa's collective voice with Rotorua Lakes Council," he said.

Te Arawa Partnership Board meet the candidates hui
•Sunday, October 4 from 10am to 12pm at Te Papaiouru Marae, Ohinemutu
•Friday, October 9 from 6pm to 8pm at the GHA Centre on Fenton St