Mana whenua leave 'one sided' relationship with Dunedin council

Thursday, 24 March 2022

Rachel Wesley, of Otakou Rūnaka, and Matapura Ellison, Kati Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, address the Dunedin City Council in 2021. File photo.

Dunedin City Council have lost the support of key Māori who say they've been treated like “window dressing”.

The Dunedin area’s two rūnanga, or tribal council, have left the council's (DCC) Māori advisory group, the Māori Participation Working Party, putting the fate of several city projects up in the air.

The move was in response to the DCC voting to join and fund an anti-Three Waters group, despite a Ngāi Tahu leader telling council hours earlier that iwi had serious concerns with the group.

In a joint statement to the council on March 16, Te Rūnganga o Ōtākou and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki chairs, Rachel Wesley and Matapura Ellison respectively, said they felt their relationship was one-sided, with mana whenua being available on request for support with te reo Māori, tikanga, cultural advice and more.

Dunedin City Council voted to join the group 8-7.

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“Both rūnanga believe that to continue their involvement in the Māori Participation Working Party while council appears to view the partnership as mere window dressing, is inappropriate.

“We await the council's tangible commitment to a genuine and meaningful partnership before re-joining this forum.”

This was reiterated in a written statement to Stuff on Wednesday.

Wesley said, “we understand not all councils support the proposed three waters reforms”.

“We still consider them partners and friends. But by hitching its wagon to this splinter group, the Dunedin City Council is outsourcing its position on the vital Three Waters issue to outsiders, rather than working in partnership with mana whenua to find a solution that’s best for our community.”

In an email to elected members, DCC chief executive Sandy Graham listed 20 projects which would be on hold if they couldn't engage with iwi.

Projects ranged from work on city pools and a library, to city signage updates and housing strategies.

Mayor Aaron Hawkins, who voted against joining the group, said the rūnanga walking away was “deeply concerning”.

He said the rūnanga was asking council to revisit their decision, and he wanted to respect that request.

Councillor Jules Radich backed the motion in favour of joining the group. He said he was very surprised at the rūnanga's reaction. He hadn’t seen the decision as a one or the other situation.

He did not say if he would have changed his vote had he known rūnanga would walk away.

“That's entirely up to local rūnanga… the situation is reasonably clear. Council is here to represent all of Dunedin's residents and ratepayers.”