The relationship agreements Kaipara Kaipara District Council holds with Te Roroa and Te Uri o Hau were terminated by the Council at their September meeting, with a view to start afresh with new agreements.

The Mana Enhancing Agreement with Te Roroa and Memorandum of Understanding with Te Uri o Hau have been in place since 2002 and 2020 respectively, and were both due for review. They set a framework for what to engage over, when and on what terms.

Having a formal agreement in place with Te Roroa and Te Uri o Hau ensures they make resource available to provide services and knowledge.

Both iwi received bulk funding of $40,000 for Te Roroa and $50,000 for Te Uri o Hau from the Council to deliver services such as blessings, attend relationship meetings and prepare cultural impact assessments. Additional services, such as committee representation, cultural monitoring and engagement and advice around significant projects were paid separately, according to a schedule. Over the last year Council has paid over $89,000 to Te Roroa and over $81,000 to Te Uri o Hau. Some of this was funded by central Government, where it related to externally funded projects.

Mayor Craig Jepson and some councillors met with iwi separately earlier this year. All parties supported a review of the relationship agreements. Following that meeting the Mayor wrote to iwi leaders indicating that he would ask Council to terminate the relationship agreements and that bulk funding would stop from the beginning of July 2024. All services are now invoiced separately.

Elected Members also resolved to work with Te Roroa and Te Uri o Hau on new agreements. The Council decision enables new agreements to be developed from scratch. Payment for services will continue on an ad hoc basis until a new agreement can be put in place.

Mayor Jepson says terminating the agreements doesn’t mean we don’t still have a relationship with iwi.

“The Council will continue to engage with Iwi while the new agreements are put in place,” says Mayor Jepson.

Council will now work with iwi on how to continue to engage until new relationship agreements can be put in place.

View the presentation at the Council Meeting on the Kaipara District Council YouTube channel(starting at 5 minutes, 22 seconds).

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