Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
- The Canterbury Regional Council has voted not to support a minister's request to remove iwi representation from the council
- Ngāi Tahu Representation Act 2022 enables Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to appoint up to two members to council with full decision-making powers
- Local Government Minister Simeon Brown asked the council to consider promoting a local bill to repeal the Act as per the government's coalition agreements
- The request has been called "disappointing and short sighted" by governance forum, Te Rōpū Tuia
Canterbury Regional Council has rejected the Local Government Minister's request to remove Ngāi Tahu councillor seats.
In July, minister Simeon Brown asked the council to consider promoting a local bill to repeal the Ngāi Tahu Representation Act 2022.
The Act means up to two Ngāi Tahu councillors can be appointed.
Council staff recommended that elected members supported the status quo, saying the current arrangement was working well and continued to have the support of Papatipu Rūnanga.
"The council has committed to being a Tiriti partner of excellence, and maintaining the Ngāi Tahu councillor positions is a key way of continuing to achieve this," the council agenda said.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER
At a meeting on Wednesday, councillors voted to keep the Ngāi Tahu councillors with many voicing their support of the relationship, saying they valued the conversations and perspectives they brought to the table.
The council will write to the minister to decline his invitation.
Te Rōpū Tuia is the governance forum that anchors the relationship.
Its co-chairperson Dr Liz Brown spoke to councillors during public forum, saying the council has committed to excellent Treaty partner.
"This government is not demonstrating excellence in its Treaty partnership. Like its other regressive policies, the plan to repeal the Ngāi Tahu Representation Act is disappointing and short-sighted," Brown said.
Te Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu kaiwhakahaere [chairman] Justin Tipa wrote to the council's chairperson, asking the council to oppose the repeal of the Act, saying it had benefited the council and mana whenua.
"I would expect that, should the Act be repealed, Environment Canterbury will revert to appointing Te Tumu Taiao members," Tipa said.
"This intent should be well-signalled to ministers, noting that an expensive and time-consuming legislative process cannot and will not diminish the relationship between Environment Canterbury and mana whenua, nor the will of Environment Canterbury - as the largest regional council in Aotearoa - to manaaki and honour its Tiriti partner."
The council has had direct mana whenua representation since 2010 using different mechanisms.
But in May 2021, the council alongside ngā Papatipu Rūnanga ki Waitaha and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu promoted a local bill to Parliament to establish two Ngāi Tahu councillors.
The legislation received Royal Assent in August 2022 and the council's first Ngāi Tahu councillors were sworn in in October that year.
