Interactions with Māori and Auckland Council and consideration of their views in decision making is a principle and requirement of several pieces of legislation including the Local Government Act (2002). In addition, Auckland Council is a member of several co-governance decision making bodies with iwi, for example the Ngāti Whātua Orākei Reserves Board and Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority both of which are set up by acts of parliament.
At the Governing Body Meeting on February 23, 2017staff sought support for a governance relationship agreement template for relationships with mana whenua in the greater Auckland area. I’m told that some legacy councils used similar relationship agreements that both elected members and mana whenua found useful.
I questioned the process around developing the template as local boards had only been presented with a broad approach in 2015.
Consequently an amendment was put up which made the whole thing a choice as opposed to a ‘must do’
The amendment read as follows:
Note that mana whenua and local board parties will ultimately decide for themselves whether they are comfortable with the template and/or whether they will be party to any particular agreement.