Call for NPDC to find senior Ma¯ori manager

A senior Ma¯ori relationship manager at the New Plymouth District Council would provide a helpful voice, a Taranaki ka¯umatua says.

New Plymouth District Council approved a Ma¯ori ward in August, and last week Gisborne became the latest local governent body to follow suit, but Peter Moeahu wants to take representation further.

‘‘Council decisions are formulated at executive management level. Council does not have a Ma¯ori executive manager to contribute to these decisions,’’ he submitted to last week’s NPDC Te Huinga Taumatua Committee.

‘‘I have recently gone through the executives of this council and note that we don’t have anyone of Ma¯ori descent that I’m aware of at that executive level,’’ he said.

‘‘We used to, in days gone by. I just think this is an opportunity for this council to build bridges.’’

Ma¯ori are Treaty partners with the Crown, and contribute $1.5 billion to the local economy, he said.

Section 81 of the Local Government Act says council must establish and maintain processes to provide opportunities for Ma¯ori to contribute to the decision-making process, consider ways in which it may foster the development of Ma¯ori capacity to contribute to the decision-making process, and provide relevant information to Ma¯ori for those purposes.

‘‘We contribute so much to the district, but we also in the past have caused council some major difficulties,’’ Moeahu said after the meeting.

He referred to the controversial PekaPeka block in Waitara as an example of where having an executive Ma¯ori relationship engagement manager would have made a difference. Moeahu would also like to see more Ma¯ori staff on council and an internship programme for young talent.

‘‘I think it would assist council if there were more Ma¯ori on staff because they could give a perspective that is not there at the moment.

‘‘We have a lot of very qualified people in our community but they don’t seem, to my eyes, to be reflected in the council staff.’’

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, coleader of the Ma¯ori Party and former deputy mayor of South Taranaki, said once local government is seen as a place Ma¯ori managers will be valued, the rest will follow.

‘‘We want the officers to have reports that are representative of our community and our thinking.

‘‘While we may not make up a majority of the population, we represent 50 per cent of the partnership of Te Tiriti.’’

Council roles had to be made attractive to Ma¯ori talent, she said. ‘‘We have some wonderful Ma¯ori managers and Ma¯ori leaders.’’

‘‘I just think this is an opportunity for this council to build bridges.’’

Peter Moeahu