Second information session on Te Arawa proposal

Arapeta Tahana speaking at Waikite Club rooms about the Te Arawa partnership proposal. PHOTO/ BEN FRASER

The second information evening on the controversial proposed Te Arawa Partnership Model was held last night in the Waikite Club rooms in Koutu.

About 20 members of the public attended the information session.

Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Geoff Williams said the information session was about making sure people had all the right information to form an opinion.

Te Rakau Paul attended the session for the first time last night.

"I am here to take this information back to my marae.

"At the end of the day you can only do so much, the powers at be are going to [do] what they do anyway."

Topsy Waaka was at the information session to learn more and to show her support for the Te Arawa proposal.

"I've come to support Te Arawa, and learn more. I have heard a lot about it."

Warwick Rika had attended the first information session, and planned to attend every one.
"My whole position to this is standing by our Te Arawa proposal, and hearing what everybody has got to say and put in our support, but there is a long way to go."

The model proposed by Te Arawa was approved "in principle", and for consultation purposes only, by council with a majority vote of 10-3 in December last year.

The proposal could see the establishment of an iwi board outside of the council structure to replace the former Te Arawa Standing Committee.

Te Arawa would appoint or elect a board of up to 14 people with two representatives - with voting rights - to sit on the council's Operations and Monitoring Committee and on its Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee, with one on the Chief Executive Performance Committee and another representative on Resource Management Act hearings panels.

The Statement of Proposal, submission form and other information will be made available to the public at Rotorua Lakes Council's Customer Centre, District Library, City Focus and the council website www.rotorualakescouncil.nz.

The next information session will be at the Rerewhakaaitu Settlers Hall tonight from 6.15pm to 7.45pm.

Feedback can be provided to the council on the submission form, or online from the council website. The period for submissions to be lodged closes on April 17.