Tauranga City Council is delaying plans to integrate a framework for tangata whenua aspirations of owning council land, instead opting for another consultation process.
Photo: file.
In TCC's 2014/2015 Annual Plan deliberations this week, councillors agreed to create a stand-alone public consultation process within the next four months following calls of limited public consultation previously by some councillors.
This comes after council adopted the draft Tangata Whenua Land Proposal for consultation in January 2014.
The framework would be used when council receives proposals from iwi/hapu regarding their aspirations for council land, or when council seeks to dispose of land no longer required and there is an iwi/hapu interest in the land.
Aspirations can include the gifting of land, preferential rights to purchase land, purchase of land at a discounted rate, and joint management of land.
TCC councillors have two tangata whenua proposals on hold before them.
But councillor Gail Macintosh says a definitive decision cannot be made as there has not been enough public input on the draft framework – something fellow council Rick Curach agrees with.
'I don't think many people realise the repercussions of bringing this in without public debate,” says Gail.
'I'm just concerned about the depth and breadth of this policy and the fact that the public have limited information, because it has been consumed in Annual Plan processes because of the bigger issues.”
Comments already made by annual plan submitters include there being more than enough land provided to Maori through the Treaty Settlement, the policy being undemocratic and continued support for tangata whenua input.
Tauranga City Mayor Stuart Crosby says he sees no added value in deferring the decision following the Annual Plan submission process and consultation between council and tangata whenua from April-August 2013.
'The purpose of this framework is to have logical framework in decision-making rather than ad-hoc,” says Stuart.
'It's going to come back to us in some shape and form.”
Councillors Catherine Stewart, John Robson, Bill Grainger, Clayton Mitchell, Rick Curach and Gail Macintosh all supported the move.
24 comments
Opposed to consultation
Posted on 08-06-2014 11:57 | By Murray.Guy
So, opposed to any meaningful consultation with the 'wider community', preferring to operate by stealth, we have Mayor Crosby, Deputy Mayor surprise surprise Kelvin Clout & Cr Matt Cowley' and self professed experts in democracy and governance Steve Morris and Bev Edlin. Assuming they all participated it is a sad indictment on our elected members when we have 5 opposing any efforts to better ensure the wider community is, as much as possible, included! Processes to date employed by the City Council are an absolute travesty, wilfully and knowingly adopting mind-sets and outcomes that further erode democracy in our city, and for many, relations with and regard for things 'Tangata Whenua'. It regard aspirations of Tangata Whenua, the Mayor talks of avoiding adhoc decisions. It seems to me that Tangata Whenua (local Maori) should collectively advise of those 'things' that they covet in community and private ownership!
Another one
Posted on 08-06-2014 11:57 | By penguin
Is this yet another proverbial "thin edge of a wedge?"
All Rate Payers please??
Posted on 08-06-2014 13:38 | By carpedeum
Surely any decision around the use/ownership/future of Council owned land needs opinions from all rate payers?? why choose one group who (also) has land of their own to make decisions around the usage of???
Land?
Posted on 08-06-2014 14:14 | By SonnyJim
I wonder what the difference is between 'council land' and 'community land'?
Pay For It
Posted on 08-06-2014 15:10 | By Jitter
If local Maori want to take over surplus TCC land they should pay the current market price as anyone else would have to do. Why should the balance of ratepayers be penalised by TCC giving away valuable land when the income from the sale could be used to reduce TCC debt ? Come on councillors this is a no brainer !
Aspirations for 'Council' land
Posted on 08-06-2014 15:17 | By Mary Faith
It really does make you wonder what is going on behind those closed doors - all these secret deals! It is ratepayers land! So - "Iwi/hapu aspirations can include the gifting of land, preferential rights to purchase land, purchase of land at a discounted rate, and joint management of land. To hell with their 'aspirations' - council should tell them to 'go jump'! As long as council pander to these 'aspirations' the more ratepayers property they will aspire to claiming! It makes me sick!
Public process?
Posted on 08-06-2014 21:47 | By awaroa
Isnt the annual plan process a Public one? How much money is the process Gail & co want to replicate going to cost? Like it or loathe it those Councillors who voted for another round of consultation, you have just voted for a process that is a waste of money & resources and a discriminatory one at that. Good one.
mayor Crosby
Posted on 08-06-2014 23:08 | By Fonzie
talks of ad hoc decisions if all citizens were treated equally as in a proper functioning democracy it would remove a lot of ad hoc decisions Congratulations to those councillors that wanted to give the community a better chance at understanding what is happening here
The problem here
Posted on 09-06-2014 13:26 | By morepork
is that there HASN'T been enough transparency in the past. Tangata Whenua may well have eyes on the land, and they may well have a case for being given some priority for grant or purchase, but that case cannot be made behind closed doors. And, given the state of the debt we are carrying, I would have thought that ANY "surplus" assets (land or otherwise) would go towards reducing THAT, as a priority for all of us. Council members are not elected to become a secretive elite, doing covert deals in back rooms. There is no need for honesty to fear the light. It is only hidden, unofficial, unfair, agendas that need to be secret.
@Murray Guy
Posted on 09-06-2014 13:37 | By morepork
You are right on the button that this secrecy is damaging race relations in Tauranga. Bad enough that unfair land deals may be mooted, but that they are done behind our backs leaves a very bad taste indeed. I don't blame Tangata Whenua for wanting land, and don't blame them for trying to get it through the back door, if our elected representatives allow that. These deals, just like ALL Council business, should be open to discussion and scrutiny, with proper regard given to all interested parties. It must be SEEN to be FAIR.
Overit
Posted on 09-06-2014 14:26 | By overit
This is happening all over NZ. The latest in Auckland now is you have to ask the Maori's first if you want to scatter ashes. Be mindful people and insist on public consultation, no less. There is an agenda in NZ now-you dont have to look far to see. Wake up community, voice your opinions, kia kaha.
Rubbish
Posted on 09-06-2014 21:08 | By hakihana
Yet again the media has purposefully misinterpreted the facts to ignite anger in its readers, and has been successful at it yet again, the facts are as any councillor would know, that there are no back door deals over council land going on......after all it is your law not ours and its you people calling the shots not us so at least become fact finders and not bull chasers!
Fairness,
Posted on 10-06-2014 09:31 | By robin bell
The usual caustic commentators,and "self professed experts" on democracy,continue their incessant banter,designed to undermine Council due process and Maori aspirations. Former Councillor Murray Guy,morepork,fonzie etc,call for more fairness,without proposing any credible alternative.So whats fair? Referenda,with its associated, horrendous costs? don't think so. Open forum,as in old Greece? too cold and wet for that. We could always appoint an alternative Council.I nominate Murray, morepork, fonzie. No place for Mary though she's too far gone. Robin Bell.
Referenda
Posted on 11-06-2014 08:21 | By Fonzie
Don't have to be expensive in these days of electronic communication in any case the Swiss seem to manage it The elected elite don't always get it right 119 Mps voted for legal highs at horrendous cost
Just the start
Posted on 12-06-2014 00:13 | By Crash test dummies
The speeches here from both sides don't answer anything, in Auckland democracy has been trashed by non elected persons. The same scenario as South Africa 20 years ago. Even worse this very small minority demands preference, separatist rules, privileges no one can get or know about. All the debate here is about is who write the better historic story, even that does not matter. What does matter is the current and going forward, like any good marriage the forward/future is good, the past is negative and distractive just like what has happened and depends since say 1975.
Jaffa,there is
Posted on 13-06-2014 10:51 | By robin bell
no answer to prejudice. Like it or not Maori are the founding partner of N.Z. They can never be elected on Maori issues,in a general seat,therefore they will always be at the mercy of people who have proven historically,that they don't necessaraly think that they are worthy of partnership.Forget South Africa,there is no comparison.New Zealand will solve this problem,Its almost done,fearmongering will help no one.Robin Bell.
CANCEROUS CREEP
Posted on 14-06-2014 00:25 | By crazyhorse
Constitutional lawyer and former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer calling for the abolition of the Citizens' Initiated Referendum Act. In his article Sir Geoffrey recommends radical changes such as entrenching the Bill of Rights in a new written constitution (to put lawyers and judges in charge of law-making in New Zealand). This from the man who helped set up the "treaty of waitangi gravy train", then went on to make million's of dollars off the "industry"as a lawyer!!!, not happy with that, now he want's to take away the voice of the other 85% of New Zealanders. People need to have a good look at what's happening around the country, Chris Finlayson {treaty negotiator for national} stepping in with local iwi to stop citizens and council ""legally""as in court!! questioning the give away of land concerning them, They are going to cut your rights off completely{NO REFERENDUM}APARTHEID.
Geoffrey Palmer
Posted on 18-06-2014 01:28 | By YOGI BEAR
Now isn't that the truth, I have read previously about the view that a many of those with "Sir" in front of there name should be fear, avoided and shunned.
There would be
Posted on 18-06-2014 15:33 | By robin bell
no need for Geoffrey Palmer,his law firm,or all the other people employed in Treaty settlements,if the Crown and others had not treated Maori so badly.Bad behavior always has repercussions,even yours yogi. Robin Bell.
To All
Posted on 24-06-2014 11:28 | By hakihana
If there were actually any closed door deals going on between iwi and council then its so closed that iwi haven't got a clue about it either! You're all referring to some secret handover of lands that quite frankly just isn't happening, nor is it going to happen and the more you get yoursevles all worked up about it the worse you make yourselves look and fonzie and co might want to take a deep look at themselves before you going discussing segregation and seperation as the mere way you refer to me and my whanau is in the least derogatory and with that kind of backward behavior i will never get my children to accept pakeha or their ways.
pakeha or their ways
Posted on 25-06-2014 08:18 | By Jeromy Murkin
You write as if you are from some lost tribe in the amazon, pakeha ways!!!!your children will be 50 to99% pakeha any way, get one of you dutch pom irish relatives to have a word with them, back yard deals are going on at all levels of Government. you no that everyone else is on to it as well, who is going to do something about it, john key and chris fiddlyson.
Hakanana
Posted on 25-06-2014 09:32 | By YOGI BEAR
Yes there is, the Whaitangi Tribunal is all done behind closed door and there is no opportunity for the NZ actual history to percolate into the system so as the decisions are fair and above board. The only time something of the deals done is known is when they surface out the other end on Findlayson's desk. They only get embellished once they arrive there.
General Seats
Posted on 25-06-2014 11:37 | By YOGI BEAR
Perhaps then Robin you need to take a look at what you are saying, people of other cultures (some are pre-Maori) have managed to get into parliament based on merit and ability. So I do find it rather offensive that you are proposing the continuance of an apartheid based electoral scheme to provide preference to a few but not others? I am at a complete loss on the justification for that.
General seats and
Posted on 25-06-2014 16:35 | By robin bell
racial prejudice.Yogi bore puts up yet another dishonest attempt to mislead.The Maori representation Act 1868 "gave" Maori men four seats in parliament,based on population they should have gotten many more. Was that the first expresion of "apartheid"? who knows.In any event Maori issues were at the mercy of Pakeha,most of whom were un sympathetic,just like you and your mates yogi. Maori representation elected or appointed is no threat to anyone.You and the right wing extremists you talk for simply want what Maori currently have.Yet another expression of your dishonesty.Ask yourself,Why no political party wants a bar of your extremism? This is NEW ZEALAND not S.Africa,and Maori are our partners.Like it,or lump it. Robin Bell.
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