MEDIA RELEASE

Regional council aims for strong engagement with Maori

For immediate release: Thursday 9 August 2007

Environment Bay of Plenty is pushing forward with bold plans to further enhance the way the organisation engages with Maori across the region.

Maori Committee Chairman Tai Eru says that the regional council has been meeting with iwi and hapu to discuss ongoing ways for the parties to work together.

He says councillors and staff have met with iwi and hapu at three sub-regional hui to discuss the setting up of forums in Rotorua, Tauranga and Whakatane.

“These meetings would deal with resource management and other issues relevant to regional council basis. Not only would they give tangata whenua better opportunities to raise important matters but the hui would also act as two-way conduits of information.”

Mr Eru says that he is excited by these developments and believes that the Bay of Plenty will be recognised as a model for other regions.

“We are already acknowledged as leading the way in New Zealand because of our three Maori constituency seats. What we’re now proposing will hopefully take us further along that track.”

Following today’s Maori Committee meeting regional council staff will begin a further round of meetings with interested iwi and hapu.

ENDS

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