Partnership focus of mayor's speech

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick is led onto Te Papaiouru Marae for the first meeting of Te Tatau o Te Arawa Board.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick says she is delighted and humbled to be asked to give one of this year's Waitangi Rua Rautau lectures at Victoria University.

Mrs Chadwick was invited to speak about the Rotorua Lakes Council's iwi partnership with Te Arawa and the council's new Te Tatau o Te Arawa Board at one of the most significant forums for discussion of Treaty of Waitangi issues.

She will give her lecture at the university's Te Herenga Waka Marae in Wellington on January 31.

"It's a bit of a thrill for me," she said.

"We said after the Te Arawa partnership went through that other places were interested in how we managed it.

"I've been asked to give a view about how we got it through and the history of how we did it.

"I'm going right back to my childhood and parts of my career right through into parliament when the Bay of Plenty Regional Council introduced Maori seats under the leadership of Mita Ririnui with great support from [former Rotorua mayor] John Keaney and [the late] Maureen Waaka."

She said writing her speech had given her pause for thought and a better perspective on how it had influenced her life.

"This was a unique Rotorua way and may not be a blueprint for all councils, but it will be great to tell the Rotorua story."

During its formation the Te Tatau o Te Arawa Board caused much controversy with some saying it was undemocratic and gave iwi too much say in council.

The board sees two iwi representatives, with full voting rights, sitting on the council's two main decision making committees and an iwi representative on the council's Resource Management Act hearings panel.

"It's an honour to be asked. But I've now realised that it does have significance nationally and that others are interested in what we have achieved," Mrs Chadwick said.