Maori ward councillors dispute Mayor’s claim about leaving forum

Rawinia Parata

Māori ward councillors of the Gisborne District Council say the Mayor did not have full support from the council when deciding to leave the regional forum Rau Tipu Rau Ora.

Rau Tipu Rau Ora (RTRO) was set up in 2020 to lead the development of the Tairawhiti Covid-19 Pandemic Response and Recovery Plan, then oversee its implementation.

It included iwi chairs from Ngai Tamanuhiri Tutu Poroporo Trust, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust (RIT), Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou (TRONPnui), Gisborne District Council (GDC), Te Whatu Ora Health NZ, Trust Tairawhiti and Eastland Group, but GDC and RIT have left the group.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz sent a letter to RTRO on March 6 stating the GDC would be leaving the forum.

She said the council supported her in the decision to withdraw from the forum . . .”

However, Māori ward councillor Rawinia Parata says that decision was not supported and endorsed by councillors.

“I raised concerns with the Mayor, CEO and with council about the repercussions of withdrawing from the forum, the detrimental effect that it will have on iwi relationships and that it will fracture what has been a successful forum that has served our region in an exemplary model of co-governance,” Cr Parata said.

“The decision to withdraw from RTRO had been made without the support of council. We were made aware after the fact,” Cr Parata said.

She said the Mayor and chief executive felt they had given this serious consideration and felt confident in the decision tō withdraw.

They have been unable to have any further conversations about RTRO in the context of recovery as the decision was final.

The other four Māori ward councillors, Rhonda Tibble, Nick Tūpara, Ani Pahuru-Huriwai and Aubrey Ria support Cr Parata’s position.

Ani Pahuru-Huriwai said she was keen for elected representatives of all the Tairāwhiti iwi and of council to come together to “reset and discuss what a meaningful Tiriti relationship will look like going forward”.

Rhonda Tibble said there was no formal meeting to ratify or empower the decision.

“We had an informal meeting where all the Māori ward councillors warned the Mayor and CEO that this would push back relationships with iwi,” Cr Tibble said.

“It’s about understanding that Māori ward councillors are always in the space of our status as tangata whenua. Our mandate clearly comes from Māori; we are written to defend tangata whenua rights and responsibility.”

“Really this is about mana motuhake of tangata whenua,” she said.

Nick Tūpara supports his Maori ward colleagues.

“In this case, it involves iwi, and as a Māori ward councillor that’s an important component of our community and has personal ramifications for me.”

He said when the Mayor puts out information publicly and says that the council supported her decision, “she needs tō make it clear we did not”.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz said, “there were initial concerns raised, but after the informal meeting there was a shared understanding behind my decision-making.

“This is not a forum mandated by a council decision — I was there as the Mayor taking part in a forum.

“It’s time to move forward.”