Embargoed from publication or broadcast until delivery at 5.30pm Wednesday 26 March 2007.

Annual Report for Inaugural Hui a Iwi of Te Tiriti O Waitangi Committee and Maori in Manukau

DATE: 26 MARCH 2008, 5.30PM
VENUE: COUNCIL CHAMBERS – CIVIC 3, 31-33 WIRI STATION ROAD, MANUKAU CITY COUNCIL, MANUKAU

TE TIRITI O WAITANGI COMMITTEE
ANNUAL REPORT 2006-2007/08

E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga karangatangamaha o nga hau e wha .
Tenei te mihi atu ki a koutou, tena koutou katoa

It is with great pleasure that I present on behalf of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Committee, the first annual report of the committee to Maori communities in Manukau. The report also covers an additional period of time and events leading up to this March as the membership of this new committee was just confirmed in February this year. The current membership of the committee is appended to this report.

I would like to begin by acknowledging the past leadership and total commitment of the previous Mayor Sir Barry Curtis, and also the current councillor and committee member Cr Anne Candy, both of whom were strong advocates for the establishment of this committee.

I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of two stalwart members of the committee who have since sadly departed. First of all Councillor Neil Morrison from Pakuranga Ward who died last year and contributed in a constructive and compassionate way to the deliberations of the committee. More recently we saw the passing of Mahia Wilson of Te Akitai, a founding Mana Whenua appointed member who resigned because of poor health last year. Nga mihi nui ki a korua. Takoto nei.

This is the time to also recognise the contributions of councillors from the previous term who were members. These included councillors Jan Sinclair and Noel Burnside who have since left Council, and other councillors who are still in office but no longer members such as Cr Arthur Anae.

I would also like to recognise the contribution of Metiria Richardson the first representative for Ngati Te Ata who because of personal reasons resigned last year, and welcome Josie Peita who has been appointed to take her place.

To you all – tena koutou katoa.

In reporting to you it is important to look to the past in order, as we all know, to explain the present and plan for the future. So the report will cover the following matters:

1. The whakapapa of the committee.

2. The membership of the committee.

3. A report on the activities that the committee has considered during the first 14 months of its existence.

4. The future - some of the key pieces of strategy work that the committee will be considering over the rest of this calendar year.

The open forum will provide a time for questions and give you an opportunity to bring up any issues and ideas that you feel the committee should investigate. We look forward to hearing them.

1. And so what is the whakapapa of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Committee?

The committee whakapapa begins with the long held commitment of this council to upholding the Treaty of Waitangi made in 1986 following consideration of the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal hearing on the Manukau Claim.

This commitment includes the development of Relationship Agreements between Mana Whenua tribal groups in Manukau and council, the establishment of this standing committee, the creation of specific staff positions to address the council commitment, and the current work programme for the Treaty of Waitangi Unit of council.

One of the key tasks for the unit is to establish effective ways of consulting with Maori in Manukau in order to increase your input to the development of policies, and to the design of service delivery systems that council is responsible for.

In short council has a commitment to trying to ensure that you know about the services that council offers, the policy areas that council is developing or contributing to on regional or national fronts and that you have the opportunity to give your whakaaro to them in the early developmental stages.

When council agreed to establish Te Tiriti O Waitangi Committee on 15 December 2005, its decision was based on recommendations from a three month city-wide consultation process with Maori throughout the city.

These ward based hui sought the views of participants about possible options that might increase Maori participation in council decision making processes. This is a legislative requirement by the Crown of all local authorities under the Local Government Act 2002 in order to meet its responsibilities as the Treaty partner, and to address the nationwide lack of representation by Maori in both local and regional councils.

The hui canvassed a number of options that might increase Maori participation including the possibility of establishing Maori wards. The hui were unanimous in recommending the concept of a Maori ward or wards, and the idea of a Maori standing committee to council. When council considered these recommendations in 2005, it accepted the proposal for a Maori standing committee which was the origin of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Committee.

At the time a comprehensive list of responsibilities and powers, known as delegations, was also approved. These delegations are currently under review to streamline them and make them more operable.

Amongst the delegations for the committee was a requirement to hold an annual hui a iwi in order to report on committee activities to the Maori communities of Manukau. The hui was delayed due to taking into consideration the local government elections, and the need for confirmation of the committee and its membership for this new electoral term 2007-2010. This hui marks the beginning of our annual hui a iwi reporting process to Maori in Manukau.

2. Membership of committee

The membership of the committee is unique. The composition of the committee – 18 positions in total - seeks to reflect a partnership governance arrangement. The partnership is between elected members from each ward of Manukau and His Worship the Mayor as representatives of the instrument of the crown - council, and Maori in Manukau who are appointed by council to be members. The latter positions all of which were approved by council in February 2008, consist of:

i. Five positions for a representative from each of the five Mana Whenua (original tribes) groups of Manukau with which council has Relationship Agreements. These members are nominated by their tribal groups
* Ngati Te Ata
* Ngati Paoa Whanau trust Board
* Te Akitai - Pukaki Marae
* Te Ahiwaru – Makaurau Marae
* Ngai Tai Umupuia Te Waka Totara Trust

ii. Four taura here city wide representatives who were originally selected at a public hui at Te Puea Memorial Marae in June 2006. The taura here representatives in the future will be selected through a similar process at the start of each electoral term.

The committee was reviewed in September last year. This has led to the development of a customised code of conduct for appointed members (to accompany the elected members code of conduct) which will be voted on tomorrow evening (27 March) at full council, and

 strengthening the delegations of the committee to address issues that arose from the review about the need for some decision making powers. This will be reported on to the April committee meeting
 It also led to confirming the selection procedures for appointed members and aligning their term of membership to the three year electoral term.

3. So what has the committee done?

This is the only standing committee of council to provide for a public forum in the structure of the meeting. This gives members of the public the opportunity to attend the committee meeting and raise issues of concern that they may wish the committee to know. This can at times lead to committee members wanting officers to follow up on the issues and report back to a future committee meeting or for matters to be referred to the appropriate area of council for follow up.

The committee has organised and facilitated marae and community based meetings to be more accessible to Maori in the community.

It has considered initiatives and received and referred to council reports relating to matters of concern for Maori/Tangata Whenua including the:

- Waahi Tapu Working Party – a working party consisting of Mana Whenua representatives and elected members from the Clevedon area who are identifying and addressing policy and information management matters relating to the protection of waahi tapu in Manukau

- Progress in implementing the Maori Development Framework adopted in 2005, which has included annual funding for a range of community activities and is to be reviewed this year to ascertain its effectiveness

- review of the Maori Economic Development Framework which was approved by council in 2002 and had some funding for a range of economic development projects and activities. This is to be further reported on to the April meeting of the committee

- Shellfish monitoring initiatives within Manukau

- initiated and prepared the submission for council on the Deletion of the Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill

- Initiated and prepared feedback to the Ka Hikitea National Maori Education Strategy

- initiated an enquiry into the truancy problem in Manurewa to inform committee members about the magnitude of this problem and the ways in which council is addressing it

- Endorsed and recommended to council adoption of the relationship agreement for Ngati Te Ata with council in October 2006

- received reports from varying health agencies aimed at providing information about the state of health for Maori in Manukau including Te Ora o Manukau-Manukau the Healthy City, the Counties- Manukau District Health Board, Auckland Regional Public Health and Hapai te Ora

- approved the local authority electoral awareness raising campaign for Maori in Manukau which took place prior to the last elections

- endorsed and encouraged investigatory work being undertaken by the TOW Unit on affordable housing in Manukau – a current issue

- received reports on the Long Term Sustainability Framework; Tomorrow’s Manukau/Manukau Apopo and the review of the outcomes based structure; Broadband options for Manukau

- received the review of the Mana Whenua Forum and relationship agreements which is being acted upon.

The review of the committee last September was aligned to a wider review of all governance arrangements (for example standing committees and the way they are structured) prior to the election last year. The committee review revealed that the delegations for the committee were in need of strengthening to ensure that the committee had the ability to undertake some decision making of a policy nature, and to approve treaty related expenditure.

Recommendations as to a strengthened set of delegations will be reported to the April meeting of the committee.

4. The future

The first year of operation of the committee has been a time of familiarisation for both members and staff supporting the committee. It has been a new world for appointed members and even councillors in this new partnership based relationship which is trying to balance the requirements of a statutory based council and committee structure, alongside the aspirations of Maori in the community.

Unlike all other current governance mechanisms, except for the newly established Policy and Activities committee which contains all elected members and deals with all policy and activity issues, this committee receives reports that impact upon a variety of subject areas and directorates within council. This can present considerable pressures on those who are participating as members of this committee.

The proposed strengthening of the delegations of the committee is one way of managing the potential work load on this committee. It will be based upon narrowing the focus of the committee on to specified policy, strategy and operational activities which will be reported to this committee during the 2008/09 year. The delegations will include activities within council work programmes that are mainly delivered by the Treaty of Waitangi Unit, as well as other items that are forwarded to the committee for consideration by other directorates.

By June 2008 it is anticipated that the following pieces of work will have been reported to the committee;

1. “Strengthening Delegations” of the committee

2. Reviewed Maori Economic Development programme

3. Endorsement of a Te Reo Maori Policy

4. Endorsement of a Tangata Whenua Potential Strategy

5. Endorsement of a Tangata Whenua Education strategy

6. A progress report on the development of the Tangata Whenua Relationships Strategy

7. A progress report on the Waahi Tapu Working Party

8. A progress report on affordable housing options for Maori and other residents in Manukau

9. A report on Maori cultural tourism opportunities

10. Other reports as relate to the kaupapa of the committee from other parts of council such as:
- Report on progress regarding shellfish monitoring in Manukau
- A report on proposed co-management environmental initiatives between council and Mana Whenua.

2008/09 Projected Policy & Strategy Work Programme

11. A reviewed Marae Policy

12. A reviewed Maori Development Framework

13. Completion and implementation of Tangata Whenua Relationships Strategy

14. Implementation reports on above policy strategy projects.

15. Other reports and activities from across directorates.

Conclusion

The committee is aware that its outreach to the community has really only just begun. It is hoped that through this hui process and the marae meetings that have been scheduled for this year and on an ongoing basis, that this will improve. Ideally there will be greater interaction between committee members and the community, and through contact with committee members much more scope for the community to feed into the committee areas of major concern that impact upon them.

To this end we welcome the suggestions, ideas from all of you who are gathered here this evening. We also encourage you to use the public forum that is available at each meeting to tell us directly about the major issues relating to Maori in Manukau and the Treaty of Waitangi.

No reira, kanui nga mihi ki a koutou

Thank you for coming this evening.

Cr Alf Filipaina
Chair, Te Tiriti o Waitangi Committee

ENDS

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