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Lois Williams / Local Democracy Reporter
The West Coast Regional Council Ngāti Waewae, Ngāti Mahaki (Makaawhio) and Ngāi Tahu rūnanga signed the Mana Whakahono to Rohe deal on Thursday. It will shape the way local government and Maori work together on the West Coast for years to come.
The signing of landmark agreements between Poutini Ngāi Tahu and the West Coast Regional Council paves the way for a true treaty partnership, iwi leaders say.
The council, Ngāti Waewae, Ngāti Mahaki (Makaawhio) and Ngāi Tahu rūnanga signed documents in Arahura Marae on Thursday that will shape the way the local government and Maori work together on the coast for years to come.
Mana Whakahono’s agreement to Rohe sets out how the parties will address the Resource Management Act (RMA) matters.
The accompanying association protocol is broader in scope, capturing the intention of the council and the iwi to advance their relationship in accordance with the Treaty of Waitangi.
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The director of Te Rūnanga or Ngāi Tahu, Lisa Tumahai, said the agreement was the next logical step in a developing relationship.
“When we think of our history as two iwi, it has been quite a journey to get into the position of working with the council in the true sense of partnership. The work we have all done in the last five years, having been on the council, we have made great strides forward from the past and reflects our growing maturity as a post-settlement iwi.
The Mana Whakahono agreement was the first to be signed in New Zealand and showed that the West Coast Regional Council was progressive, despite criticism its chairman sometimes received for his views on climate change and other issues, he said. Tumahai.
The good relationship between the council and mana whenua has its roots in the early history of the region, he said.
“Relationships are not established by organizations, but by the people who make them up. And on the coast we have more in common than not. Where there are differences, we can resolve them amicably. “
Māori and Pākehā on the west coast shared a long history and a common approach to problem solving.
“We have lived in isolation for centuries… with the harsh climate and those great mountain ranges in between. The early settlers of Pākehā also had to be resilient and usually we all go ahead and do things. “
The agreements show what can be done when the government acts in accordance with the Ngāi Tahu Settlement Law and cooperates with the iwi, Tumahai said.
“If we had a document like this with the DOC, now we wouldn’t have the difficulties that we are having with the West Coast Board of Conservation.”
The regional council’s new chief executive, Vin Smith, said the signing of the agreements capped a busy first week on the job.
“It has been a fantastic week and this has truly been the highlight. The working committee and Poutini Ngāi Tahu have done something extraordinary, and we should all be very proud of what has been achieved and signed.
The agreements paved the way for mana whenua to play a greater role in resource management on the coast, Smith said.
“There are every opportunity under the RMA to transfer some functions to the rūnanga and develop new arrangements, and I think all of those must be on the table to move forward because mana whenua plays a very important role in how we should deliver sustainable management for the coast. West.”
