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Newsroom
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsroom
Crown and council to take voting edge over Māori on Waitakeres body
Joint oversight of the Waitakere Ranges by Māori, Auckland Council and the Crown will not now be through a committee with equal representation after feedback from west Aucklanders, some opposed to 'co-governance'. From initial proposals of an equal five seats for tangata whenua and five representing public bodies, the latest deed to establish the oversight committee has moved to six to five in favour of the council and Crown entities. The change leaves west Auckland-based iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki feeling 'a little bruised, and beaten up' after years of waiting, but accepting it 'could live with' the council's change of representation and wanting to get on and protect the ranges. Iwi chief executive Edward Ashby told Newsroom: 'It was pretty clear there was a fear – and I do think it is an irrational fear because it's an advisory body and we are not the boogie man. But we are really focused on the outcome. We are not too worried by the numbers.' The deed for the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Forum, a body to be set up under a 2008 law but only now being finalised, goes before Auckland Council's policy and planning committee on Thursday. The Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act recognised the 27,700 hectares of publicly owned land in the ranges as nationally significant, needing protection. It specified the Crown, council and nominated iwi to develop the deed and oversight body, a non-statutory body to identify areas of cooperation and develop a strategic plan for the area. It aims to identify areas tangata whenua can contribute to the management of public land and to acknowledge their traditional relationship with the ranges. The five seats for Māori are initially to be taken up by Te Kawerau ā Maki, as another iwi listed in the Act, Ngāti Whātua, has declined. Under the deed, there will be no change of ownership of land under the deed or forum structure, and the forum would not be able to direct spending of council or Crown funds, other than its own delegated budget. In April, the New Zealand First party complained the forum would be an example of 'co-governance' with Māori able to set strategy and veto council or government measures related to the ranges. MP Shane Jones said his party would never agree to an iwi having '50 percent sovereignty over the Waitakere forest'. Ashby dismissed the criticisms in April as scaremongering and said the forum as proposed was not co-governance. If it had been, there would have been a different structure and entity established. The deed simply acknowledged tangata whenua's special relationship with the ranges area. Around 2250 people and organisations made public submissions on the heritage forum deed, with 51 percent in favour, 39 percent against and 10 percent recorded as 'other'. Analysis of the submissions by research firm Ipsos said there was concern among those opposed to the deed at the prospect of 50-50 representation on the joint committee giving tangata whenua 'disproportionate influence' over management of the public land. Those in favour of the deed and shared oversight acknowledged the iwi role of kaitiaki or guardian and the importance of tangata whenua having a strong voice and seat at the table. It appears that public feedback, rather than the political claims by NZ First and the Act Party, has now seen the forum membership weighting changed to favour the public bodies. Council staff recommend three seats for the Waitakere Local Board, two for the council governing body and one for the Department of Conservation – and five seats to be occupied by Te Kawerau ā Maki, to be shared with Ngāti Whātua should that iwi choose at a later date to participate. The role of chair would come from the iwi side and deputy chair from the public bodies. Waitakere ward councillor Shane Henderson says the composition of the forum changed 'in response to feedback, not to scaremongering from central government politicians but the voices of West Aucklanders that fed back into the process'. He said the new balance allowed half of the six-member Waitakere local board to join the forum, with two ward councillors. DoC's strong interests in the heritage area also needed representation. 'So the new numbers work a little better on that basis too.' Te Kawerau ā Maki chief executive Edward Ashby. Photo: Supplied Ashby says the change in representation came after the consultation and was put to Te Kawerau ā Maki by the council. 'It's a place the council came to that we could live with at the end of the day. It's about giving these people some certainty that there would not be a super majority of Māori on the committee. There's been a lot of misunderstanding of the original proposal. 'It's good the deed is out there and people can read it; it clearly says it's advisory, about public land, it does not have power to make any decisions about budgets. That's all in there.' He said the political claims from Jones and Act's David Seymour, among others, led to fears among some members of the public. 'I do understand that if you are reading scaremongering headlines on Facebook you might react. It's unfortunate. 'It's just the political reality of the time. The original proposal was for 50-50, not out of any power grab but simply that the Crown and council was on one side of the equation and on the other side was Te Kawerau ā Maki and Ngāti Whātua. It was as simple as that.' He noted much of the feedback against the proposed deed had come from beyond Waitakere and Auckland. 'But, there's this beautiful area. It's our heartland and I'm biased. It really needs to be looked after. We really need to get together on how we make it work.' The six-five composition of the forum was 'at least an outcome that takes some of the edge out of some people's concerns, even though I think they were not well-founded concerns'. He hoped the compromise result did not turn the clock back in other areas of the country. 'I like to think most New Zealanders are fair minded … and I would hope that progress made is not lost. There's been some really good progressive stories.' The council's policy and planning committee considers the proposed deed on Thursday, with the full Governing Body having the final say before the forum is appointed. Ashby says: 'We just want to get on with it.'
Scoop
29-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
Collaborative Approach To Protect Waitakere Ranges Nothing To Fear
Press Release – Te Kawerau a Maki Te Kawerau ā Maki, the iwi of the Waitakere Ranges, says a proposal for Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Council (Council) to work more closely with the iwi to protect the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area is focused on preserving the Ranges for everyone and is nothing to fear. Adopted in 2008, the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act recognises the national, regional, and local significance of the Waitakere Ranges heritage area and promotes the protection and enhancement of its heritage features for present and future generations. Section 29 of the Act also sets out that a Deed of acknowledgement must identify any specific opportunities for contribution by tangata whenua to the management of the land by the Crown or the Council, and Te Kawerau ā Maki CEO Edward Ashby says progress on this has been a long time coming. 'Every year for 17 years we have asked for our Deed to progress and every year we have been left waiting,' says Te Kawerau ā Maki CEO Edward Ashby. 'Our aim is not to lock the public out of having any sort of say but to enact what is provided for in law. That is, the collaboration of mandated parties to come up with a plan together and coordinate efforts to protect and enhance all the heritage features of the Ranges including natural and community outcomes,' Mr Ashby says the legislation is largely forgotten and unimplemented with management happening in uncoordinated silos and fear mongering comments that Te Kawerau ā Maki is trying to take control over the whenua is a distraction from the real issue of protecting this taonga. 'This must be one of the only nationally significant places on earth without a plan,' says Mr Ashby. 'We want the area to thrive – to protect threatened species and increase their numbers, to protect our dark skies and landscape qualities, to have better quality recreation for Aucklanders who run, tramp and walk through the Ranges, and for the people that live there – all of us – to have strong communities. We can only do this if we work together.' Mr Ashby says Te Kawerau ā Maki Deed of Settlement promised a new relationship with the Crown based on mutual respect and cooperation but a generation of Te Kawerau ā Maki people are growing up on the broken promise of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act. 'The Crown is at risk of repeating history. It was the Crown that purchased land without consultation or investigation of customary rights. It was the Crown that failed to apply the regulations it had established to protect Mâori and it was the Crown's actions that led to Te Kawerau ā Maki being virtually landless with no marae of urupā of our own'. Mr Ashby says the Auckland Council had voted unanimously to support the Deed progressing in principle, which included four identified opportunities for it to work together—but now several councillors are backtracking on that decision. 'Our culture, our indigeneity, and our legal rights have been framed as a threat but we must emphasise that decision making powers about the Waitākere Ranges remain with their respective entities: the Council and the Department of Conservation will continue to make final decisions over land where it is custodian as will Te Kawerau ā Maki. This is simply about us working together.' Notes: Te Kawerau ā Maki are a West Auckland-based iwi, with the tribal heartland of the iwi being Hikurangi and Ngā Rau Pou ā Maki (Waitākere Ranges). Te Kawerau ā Maki are represented by Te Kawerau Iwi Settlement Trust, which is the post-settlement governance entity established and mandated through the Te Kawerau ā Maki Claims Settlement Act to represent the iwi and to administer Treaty settlement assets. Today our iwi is in the process of rebuilding our political, social, cultural, environmental, and economic well being. This includes our visible presence at the Arataki Centre, the Henderson Civic Building, and our planned marae at Te Henga and Te Onekiritea (Hobsonville).
Scoop
29-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
Collaborative Approach To Protect Waitakere Ranges Nothing To Fear
Press Release – Te Kawerau a Maki Mr Ashby says Te Kawerau Maki Deed of Settlement promised a new relationship with the Crown based on mutual respect and cooperation but a generation of Te Kawerau Maki people are growing up on the broken promise of the Waitkere Ranges Heritage … Te Kawerau ā Maki, the iwi of the Waitakere Ranges, says a proposal for Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Council (Council) to work more closely with the iwi to protect the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area is focused on preserving the Ranges for everyone and is nothing to fear. Adopted in 2008, the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act recognises the national, regional, and local significance of the Waitakere Ranges heritage area and promotes the protection and enhancement of its heritage features for present and future generations. Section 29 of the Act also sets out that a Deed of acknowledgement must identify any specific opportunities for contribution by tangata whenua to the management of the land by the Crown or the Council, and Te Kawerau ā Maki CEO Edward Ashby says progress on this has been a long time coming. 'Every year for 17 years we have asked for our Deed to progress and every year we have been left waiting,' says Te Kawerau ā Maki CEO Edward Ashby. 'Our aim is not to lock the public out of having any sort of say but to enact what is provided for in law. That is, the collaboration of mandated parties to come up with a plan together and coordinate efforts to protect and enhance all the heritage features of the Ranges including natural and community outcomes,' Mr Ashby says the legislation is largely forgotten and unimplemented with management happening in uncoordinated silos and fear mongering comments that Te Kawerau ā Maki is trying to take control over the whenua is a distraction from the real issue of protecting this taonga. 'This must be one of the only nationally significant places on earth without a plan,' says Mr Ashby. 'We want the area to thrive – to protect threatened species and increase their numbers, to protect our dark skies and landscape qualities, to have better quality recreation for Aucklanders who run, tramp and walk through the Ranges, and for the people that live there – all of us – to have strong communities. We can only do this if we work together.' Mr Ashby says Te Kawerau ā Maki Deed of Settlement promised a new relationship with the Crown based on mutual respect and cooperation but a generation of Te Kawerau ā Maki people are growing up on the broken promise of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act. 'The Crown is at risk of repeating history. It was the Crown that purchased land without consultation or investigation of customary rights. It was the Crown that failed to apply the regulations it had established to protect Mâori and it was the Crown's actions that led to Te Kawerau ā Maki being virtually landless with no marae of urupā of our own'. Mr Ashby says the Auckland Council had voted unanimously to support the Deed progressing in principle, which included four identified opportunities for it to work together—but now several councillors are backtracking on that decision. 'Our culture, our indigeneity, and our legal rights have been framed as a threat but we must emphasise that decision making powers about the Waitākere Ranges remain with their respective entities: the Council and the Department of Conservation will continue to make final decisions over land where it is custodian as will Te Kawerau ā Maki. This is simply about us working together.' Notes: Te Kawerau ā Maki are a West Auckland-based iwi, with the tribal heartland of the iwi being Hikurangi and Ngā Rau Pou ā Maki (Waitākere Ranges). Te Kawerau ā Maki are represented by Te Kawerau Iwi Settlement Trust, which is the post-settlement governance entity established and mandated through the Te Kawerau ā Maki Claims Settlement Act to represent the iwi and to administer Treaty settlement assets. Today our iwi is in the process of rebuilding our political, social, cultural, environmental, and economic well being. This includes our visible presence at the Arataki Centre, the Henderson Civic Building, and our planned marae at Te Henga and Te Onekiritea (Hobsonville).
Scoop
29-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
Collaborative Approach To Protect Waitakere Ranges Nothing To Fear
Te Kawerau ā Maki, the iwi of the Waitakere Ranges, says a proposal for Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Council (Council) to work more closely with the iwi to protect the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area is focused on preserving the Ranges for everyone and is nothing to fear. Adopted in 2008, the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act recognises the national, regional, and local significance of the Waitakere Ranges heritage area and promotes the protection and enhancement of its heritage features for present and future generations. Section 29 of the Act also sets out that a Deed of acknowledgement must identify any specific opportunities for contribution by tangata whenua to the management of the land by the Crown or the Council, and Te Kawerau ā Maki CEO Edward Ashby says progress on this has been a long time coming. 'Every year for 17 years we have asked for our Deed to progress and every year we have been left waiting,' says Te Kawerau ā Maki CEO Edward Ashby. 'Our aim is not to lock the public out of having any sort of say but to enact what is provided for in law. That is, the collaboration of mandated parties to come up with a plan together and coordinate efforts to protect and enhance all the heritage features of the Ranges including natural and community outcomes,' Mr Ashby says the legislation is largely forgotten and unimplemented with management happening in uncoordinated silos and fear mongering comments that Te Kawerau ā Maki is trying to take control over the whenua is a distraction from the real issue of protecting this taonga. 'This must be one of the only nationally significant places on earth without a plan,' says Mr Ashby. 'We want the area to thrive – to protect threatened species and increase their numbers, to protect our dark skies and landscape qualities, to have better quality recreation for Aucklanders who run, tramp and walk through the Ranges, and for the people that live there – all of us – to have strong communities. We can only do this if we work together.' Mr Ashby says Te Kawerau ā Maki Deed of Settlement promised a new relationship with the Crown based on mutual respect and cooperation but a generation of Te Kawerau ā Maki people are growing up on the broken promise of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act. 'The Crown is at risk of repeating history. It was the Crown that purchased land without consultation or investigation of customary rights. It was the Crown that failed to apply the regulations it had established to protect Mâori and it was the Crown's actions that led to Te Kawerau ā Maki being virtually landless with no marae of urupā of our own'. Mr Ashby says the Auckland Council had voted unanimously to support the Deed progressing in principle, which included four identified opportunities for it to work together—but now several councillors are backtracking on that decision. 'Our culture, our indigeneity, and our legal rights have been framed as a threat but we must emphasise that decision making powers about the Waitākere Ranges remain with their respective entities: the Council and the Department of Conservation will continue to make final decisions over land where it is custodian as will Te Kawerau ā Maki. This is simply about us working together.' Te Kawerau ā Maki are a West Auckland-based iwi, with the tribal heartland of the iwi being Hikurangi and Ngā Rau Pou ā Maki (Waitākere Ranges). Te Kawerau ā Maki are represented by Te Kawerau Iwi Settlement Trust, which is the post-settlement governance entity established and mandated through the Te Kawerau ā Maki Claims Settlement Act to represent the iwi and to administer Treaty settlement assets. Today our iwi is in the process of rebuilding our political, social, cultural, environmental, and economic well being. This includes our visible presence at the Arataki Centre, the Henderson Civic Building, and our planned marae at Te Henga and Te Onekiritea (Hobsonville).
RNZ News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Auckland iwi boss accuses NZ First, ACT MPs of 'scaremongering' with Waitākere Ranges claims
(File) Te Kawerau ā Maki chief executive Edward Ashby. Photo: supplied NZ First and ACT MPs Shane Jones and David Seymour need to "learn to read", the chief executive of a West Auckland iwi says, after they criticised a proposal by Auckland Council to work more closely with the iwi as "co-governance". Edward Ashby said the central government MPs were up to "mischief", spreading "misinformation" and "scaremongering". Jones and Seymour are concerned about the potential for iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki to be part of a committee overseeing the Waitākere Ranges, but Auckland Councillor Richard Hill said the proposal simply progresses something that was agreed to 17 years ago. In 2008, the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act recognised the area as nationally significant, and specified it needed to be protected. It also said it would progress a Deed of Acknowledgement that the Auckland Council, the Crown and the nominated iwi would enter into. Now the council is moving forward to create that deed, with consultation on the proposal closing yesterday. Auckland councillor Richard Hills explained the deed would "in practice" acknowledge the relationship and interest a range of parties have in the Waitākere Ranges. That could be to "invest in it, do trapping, do planting, do pest control, enable more recreation and protection of the ranges into the future". "This was asked for unanimously by the local boards and also unanimously by the Auckland Council." Part of the proposal is to establish a joint committee under the Local Government Act with equal representation from Auckland Council, the Crown and tangata whenua - in this case Te Kawerau ā Maki. NZ First MP Shane Jones has condemned the idea, saying his party will never agree to an iwi having "50 percent sovereignty over the Waitakere forest". "We campaigned, we negotiated, and we agreed, in our coalition agreement, there would be no more co-sovereignty, no more co-governance of these public service orientated outcomes." He said the moment you have a "50/50 committee set up as part of the SuperCity" it will "morph in no time whatsover into shared sovereignty over the Waitākere". "What about the trampers? What about the runners? What about the walkers? That is an asset that primarily must serve all the interests and all the needs of Auckland." The Waitakere Ranges at Karekare Beach Photo: 123rf Coalition partner and Epsom electorate MP David Seymour agreed, saying the Waitākere Ranges is a "very special area to many Aucklanders". "The idea it should be governed half by people whose ancestors arrived 800 years ago, and half by people whose ancestors arrived more recently, is an anathema to the Kiwi spirit." He was also concerned about decisions being made to close tracks, saying those needed to be made "according to the best science". "And the people with the best science are the people who have the skills, experience and qualifications to make the decision. "Being born Māori, while a wonderful thing to be proud of, is not actually a scientific qualification." CEO of Te Kawerau ā Maki Edward Ashby suggested the MPs "learn to read" because "that's not what the information out there says". Ashby pointed out it had taken 17 years to act on what the legislation had promised, "which is a deed to be progressed". That was all the iwi was doing, he said. He explained the deed would do two things, "acknowledges our association" and "identifies opportunities for us to contribute to the management of the public land". "And so one of the ways we wanted to do that was basically set up a forum or a table for us and the Crown and Council to talk." He said that would be a "non-statutory" body, and would be used to coordinate a plan for the area. Ashby maintained the proposal was not co-governance and said the MPs were up to "mischief". "I think it's scaremongering. I think it's misinformation. "It's obviously on trend for some members of this government, and politics in general, at the moment, to beat up on iwi." He said he thought Te Kawerau ā Maki were being used as a "political football', and the idea that the proposal was co-governance was "misinformation". "If it was co governance, there would be land in a different structure, a different entity, there'd be decision making over money and things like that. And none of those things are on the table. "Land isn't changing title. Money isn't changing hands. Power isn't being taken away from anyone." He explained the council would still make final decisions over land it manages, as would the Department of Conservation, as would Te Kawerau ā Maki. He said the idea that there'll be "Kawerau police" telling people what they can and can't do on the property was an "absolute fairytale". Councillor Hills echoed this, saying "there's no change of ownership or change of decision making," and that it was simply about "doing what we're already doing in disparate ways", but bringing local boards, council, mana whenua together to "improve the future of the Waitākere Ranges and ensure the investment is going in the right places". He said this is "nothing like" the co-governance the government approved a couple of months ago for Taranaki. Seymour acknowledged it was ultimately a decision for the local council, and said that is why ACT plans to stand candidates in the local body elections for the first time. "The legislation in question is actually a local bill, which is quite difficult for Parliament to change without the local council asking for it to happen. "Hence, we're standing local candidates so precisely that can happen." Jones said he wouls be taking the issue to caucus, and he will be taking it up with the Minister of Conservation - Tama Potaka. RNZ approached the minister for comment but he declined because it is a local government issue. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
