Māori councillors make rescue call for Mana Whakahono deals

The Māori councillors’ organisation has called for the Government to cancel its cull of council-iwi resource management agreements.

The Beehive plans to scrap Mana Whakahono ā Rohe deals in Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms currently before Parliament – a move opposed by Local Government New Zealand’s Māori councillors network, Te Maruata.

Te Maruata co-chair Dinnie Moeahu said Mana the deals between councils and iwi had been widely misunderstood.

"We want to be very clear that these agreements do not hand decision making power to iwi,” Moeahu said.

Dinnie Moeahu says the public has widely misunderstood Mana Whakahono ā Rohe

Moeahu – who is a New Plymouth district councillor – said Mana Whakahono support durable, long-term partnerships with iwi, reducing uncertainty and ad hoc responses.

"They don't override decisions elected members around the council table make.”

Since 2017, iwi and councils could negotiate Mana Whakahono ā Rohe under the RMA, formalising a role for mana whenua in planning and resource management.

The Government is replacing the RMA and initially said existing Mana Whakahono would survive under its new laws.

But two weeks ago RMA reform minister Chris Bishop decided to axe the transfer.

He said the replacement laws would strictly limit what deals iwi and councils could make.

"Councils will have the option of entering into new narrowly scoped iwi participation agreements to record how iwi authorities will participate in statutory planning processes and processes required to give effect to Treaty settlement redress,” Bishop said.

“Clear guardrails will be included in the legislation to prevent scope creep.”

Te Maruata said many councils and iwi had invested significant time, expertise and goodwill into building Mana Whakahono.

Ngāti Maru was “deeply disappointed” after signing a Mana Whakahono ā Rohe with Taranaki Regional Council just a week before the Government struck down the deals.

The iwi spent eight years negotiating the agreement, deliberately crafting it as a template for other tribes in the region.

Te Kahui o Maru tumu whakarae Anaru Marshall said Ngāti Maru had worked in good faith to improve rivers and the environment.

“The Mana Whakahono ā Rohe is designed to strengthen the relationship and improve the outcomes for the environment.”

“I think some people don't understand - this is not just for Māori or iwi.”

Moeahu said the public had no say as Mana Whakahono had been struck down after the RMA replacement laws passed select committee.

“Similarly, iwi and councils who had spent years developing these agreements were not consulted.”

Bishop said the Government was worried Mana Whakahono agreements had rapidly increased – from eight when the new resource laws were introduced to “several dozen

more”.

Te Maruata co-chair and Gisborne deputy mayor Aubrey Ria said National introduced Mana Whakahono in 2017 to create a partnership mechanism.

“That’s exactly what we have been doing. It’s hard to understand why the current government is punishing that uptake.”

nā Craig Ashworth craig@tekorimako.co.nz

LDR is local body journalism funded by RNZ and NZ on Air