Media Release
30 June 2007

Community Sector Taskforce Supports Call for Sector-Led Review of All Funding Relationships

Members of Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector organisations and groups want a Sector-led review of all funding relationships with the Sector.

The call was made at a two-day forum (20-21 June) of 150 leading Sector organisation representatives who came together to discuss pressing issues that face nearly 100,000 not-for-profit organisations and groups across the country.

There was strong representation from across the Sector, including local, regional and national level, and from Maori, Pacific, Asian and ethnic groups, arts and culture, sport and recreation, social services, philanthropy, education and faith communities.

Tony Spelman, Tangata Whenua Co-Chair of the Community Sector Taskforce said Forum participants believe the review will help to ensure the Sector's scarce resources are used more effectively and in ways that make sense to communities.

"There was a strong sense of ownership at the Forum around the solutions to our problems and in asserting the value of our perspective, as independent, competent and accountable to the community," he said.

The Sector's practical way to include tangata whenua alongside tangata tiriti at all levels of its work for people in the community has been adopted as the basis for future development. This process is outlined in A New Way of Working for the Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector.

"It is a way of working that can do practical justice to our country's founding documents Te Tiriti/Treaty of Waitangi and provide a practical way to include all parts of our very diverse sector as we work together," Mr Spelman said

The Forum has also been very useful in bringing Government and the Sector together. The Forum included a session between 13 Government Ministers and Sector representatives focused on finding ways to develop ongoing relationships and to work together on significant issues facing the sector.

Funding and sustainability of the Sector was oneâ‚ of the issues raised at this session said Dave Henderson, Community Sector Taskforce member: "With the full support of the Taskforce, representatives articulated the benefits to the government when the Sector's accountability to local and regional communities, rather then government requirements, are seen to drive the management of funding."

The Forum also agreed there is a need for the continuation of an independent-from-government, Sector-led, government-funded group tasked with facilitating the voices of the Sector, and for this to be based on the sector's Tiriti/Treaty of Waitangi Relationships Framework.
For some time now, the Community Sector Taskforce, an independent Sector-led body has been promoting better ways of working and developing relationships at local, regional and national level in the interests of our people, tangata whenua and tangata tiriti together.

"We have promoted the establishment of ComVOiceS, a network of Sector organisations, which promotes the value of the Sector in our communities, and the Research Centre of Excellence, to promote sector-led research," said Dave Henderson. "Together with the sector we are now ready to move forward."

ENDS

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