Māori voices for council

Five Māori representatives have been appointed to Far North District Council committees and will take up their roles late this month.

The council decided to add nonelected representatives with te ao Māori expertise to its four committees after establishing Māori wards last year. The committees consider specialist council functions and activities and were established in December 2019.

Last month, the council sought expressions of interest from people with a te ao Māori worldview and who have links to Te Tai Tokerau Māori communities.

Ten applications were received with five applicants selected by council resolution on July 14 to join the Infrastructure; Regulatory Compliance; Strategy and Policy; and Assurance, Risk, and Finance committees for the remainder of this council term.

The new committee members are:

● Rāniera Kāio: Current chairman of Whangaroa Community Trust, cultural manager of Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa and Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa/Ngāpuhi ki Whangaroa Representative, Te Kāhui ā Iwi o Te Taitokerau, Te Mātāwai. He will be joining the Strategy and Policy Committee chaired by councillor Rachel Smith.

● Sam Napia: Current chief executive of Te Rūnanga ā Iwi o Ngāpuhi and has extensive local government experience in Aotearoa and overseas. He has a Master of Business Administration and will be joining the Strategy and Policy Committee chaired by councillor Rachel Smith.

● Reina Penney: Current roles include working for Te Matapihi as Kaiwhiriwhiri kōrero and chairwoman of Maungataniwha Kohanga Reo, and director of S & R Penney Construction Ltd. She has a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts and is affiliated to Ngāi Tūpoto Motukaraka and Te Uri Mahoe Mangamuka. She will be joining the Assurance, Risk and Finance Committee chaired by councillor John Vujcich.

● Mane Tahere: Northland regional manager (Equity) Health New Zealand, Mane has worked for several Māori NGOs, iwi and tertiary organisations. Mane has central and local government experience and has been appointed to the Infrastructure Committee chaired by councillor Felicity Foy.

● Mike Te Wake: Chairman of Waihou-Nui-a-Rua Marae and has degrees in journalism and Māori performing arts. He is Pou Tikanga — Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa and chairman of Hokianga Rugby sub-union. He will be joining the Regulatory Compliance Committee chaired by councillor Kelly Stratford.