"The feedback that we've had through this process has been great. There has been a couple meet the candidate events which had 170 people turn up to those two events and great questions asked of them.."
The partnership was voted through after a year in development, more than 1800 submissions and five days of hearings. The 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 entities. Two members of the board will be appointed and given voting rights to the council's two key committees, the Strategy, Policy and Finance, and Operations and Monitoring, and will have voting rights. However the council will be able to veto those appointments if it did not think they would be suitable.
"I am excited but it's also tempered by once we get in, it needs to be established and generate meaningful results," Mr Tahana said.
He said the partnership has seen the iwi work as one.
"Definitely, my observation is that Te Arawa see the value in being unified in relationship and hopefully this will be the catalyst for more collaboration with the council."
Ngati Whakaue kaumatua Pihopa Kingi said the candidates were of a high calibre.
"On a whole, there is much credibility and capability to be able to work with the council and to impact strongly on issues relating to the Arawa region," he said.
"It will have a strong input and impact with the Arawa content within the district council region."
Preliminary results will be released tomorrow and posted on the Te Arawa Partnership website, www.tatautatau.com.
Te Arawa Partnership Board
* Voting closes today at 12pm
* Only those registered with the Te Arawa Lakes Trust and over 18 were eligible to vote
* Partnership board will have 14 representatives from a cross-section of Te Arawa
* Results will be released tomorrow online
