Trevor can be proud of his contribution to politics. No doubt he has seen and heard it all over the years. He was in the thick of it during the years when New Zealand was undergoing significant change.
Today, entering politics before the age of 30 is no longer that uncommon, but back in 1977, a local boy from Awahou must have been a novelty among the older councillors elected to work on behalf of the citizens of Rotorua.
Over the following years, borough councils were being amalgamated, then abolished to make way for city and regional councils. The Resource Management Act was on the drawing board in Wellington, Māori language and culture were revitalising, and Treaty settlements were gaining momentum.
Successive governments had to try to figure out what local authority obligations were to ensure they acted in accordance with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
At the same time, the mundane but necessary business-as-usual activities such as striking rates, rubbish collection, wastewater treatment and roading maintenance carried on.
Here’s an idea for Trevor to consider – write that book. And I’m being selfish, but it’s particularly the first 20 years that I am interested in. These were crucial years for the future positioning of the city of Rotorua and the district.
Te Arawa was already thinking and planning for their own social and economic aspirations. The city had to ensure it remained a major tourist centre of New Zealand, with forestry and farming contributing significantly to the local economy.
The change was driven by people who understood things could be done differently, and better. I know from talking to Trevor these were not easy years.
Not all councillors wanted to see change - some were positive, some negative, and others totally indifferent.
No-one expects councillors to be a group-think team, but you have to be there for the right reasons. Otherwise, why be there at all?
I remember asking Trevor why he didn’t “go harder” on some issues in those early years, particularly in relation to the use of Māori-owned resources, whether those be land, water, geothermal or lakes resources.
There were numerous instances from around the country, including Rotorua, where councils helped themselves to hapū and iwi assets, sometimes using the Public Works Act or, on other occasions, demanding Maori owners sold these to them.
Assets were taken for the public good. The Public Works Act was overwhelmingly used by the government, local and central, to remove Maori from their resources, thereby limiting their opportunity to develop their own economic base.
Te Arawa’s assets and resources have been used for the wider public good since the signing of the Fenton Agreement. Trevor has always said it’s a numbers game, and he’s right. For many years on the council, the numbers weren’t there.
In my view, there was little willingness by some councillors to even think that Te Arawa might be raising relevant arguments about the use of their resources, without payment, or with only a pittance in compensation. Recent Treaty of Waitangi settlements have righted some of those wrongs.
Trevor could do a real exposé: ‘Councillors I have known: the good, the bad, the ugly’.
But that’s not Trevor. Trevor’s problem is he’s so damn likeable. He cares about Rotorua and our district. He cares about the people who reside within his tribal rohe of Te Arawa.
I have never seen Trevor try to score points, but he does want his views heard, and it’s no matter if they don’t line up with anyone else’s.
Trevor has been a councillor for more than 40 years, representing all ratepayers and citizens of Rotorua.
In particular, he has represented those who never saw themselves reflected at the decision-making table, and never saw their issues given the same weight of consideration as all others. Trevor worked in an environment that was often hostile and angry.
He and I must also acknowledge former long-serving councillor Maureen Waaka too, who laid the foundations for Māori to aspire to serve on local councils today, not only in Rotorua but throughout the country.
Now legislation has played an important role in getting those added-value numbers up.
When it got difficult and demanding, Trevor never stepped aside. He never stomped off, leaving the work for others to pick up. He sought and got re-elected 14 times.
His has been the “face that is seen and remembered”.
In my opinion, he’s a bloody legend.
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait has worked in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Today she writes, broadcasts and is a regular social issues commentator on TV. Of Te Arawa, Merepeka believes fearless advocacy for equity and equality has the potential to change lives.
