Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Bigger roles for Hamilton City Council's Māori representatives

Tom Rowland
By Tom Rowland
Hamilton News·
6 Feb, 2020 09:54 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Mangai Maori, from left, Te Pora Thompson-Evans, Bella Takiari-Brame, James Whetu, Norm Hill, Olly Te Ua. Photos / Hamilton City Council

Mangai Maori, from left, Te Pora Thompson-Evans, Bella Takiari-Brame, James Whetu, Norm Hill, Olly Te Ua. Photos / Hamilton City Council

Hamilton City Council-appointed Māori representatives have been given a bigger workload by the new council, a boost in their budget and will have access to confidential reports, with permission of the chief executive.

The five Māngai Māori (Voice of Māori) representatives will now sit on all eight of the subcommittees and an advisory group created by changes to the governance structure of the 2019/22 council after Paula Southgate won the mayoralty last year.

Mayor Paula Southgate says Māngai Māori are important advocates for tangata whenua and their involvement allows the council to make more durable decisions for the city.

The Māngai Māori representatives and are chosen by iwi (Waikato-Tainui) and maataa waka (Māori not of Waikato-Tainui descent) organisations. They have full speaking and voting rights on all subcommittees but do not sit or vote at meetings of the full council.
The changes, approved by the council this week, follow a review process which included feedback from current and past elected members.

The new council also unanimously agreed to allow the Māngai Māori the chance to be a part of public excluded sections of the committee meetings, and read public excluded reports, if invited by the chief executive.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The annual budget to fund all the Māngai Māori was increased by $34,400 to $102,400 to reflect the extra hours now required.

The council also confirmed that professional development for Māngai Māori representatives would be provided.

Mrs Southgate said having council unanimously reaffirm the Māngai Māori partnership indicates the value it has already added to the decision-making process.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"By 2038, a third of people living in our city will be Māori," Mrs Southgate said.

"Frankly, how well we do as a city hinges on a strong and collaborative relationship with Māori."

"The Māngai Māori representatives are highly skilled people in their own right with significant credentials and mana. They are important advocates for tangata whenua and their involvement on council allows us make more durable decisions for the city."

In 2018, Hamilton City Council approved the appointment of Māori representatives for the then four committees, where one sat on the growth and infrastructure committee, two on the community and services committee, one on finance committee, and one on the regulatory hearings committee.

All five Māngai Māori appointees are members of the Hearings and Engagement Committee, for items relevant to their portfolio.

"Hamilton was courageous in pioneering an innovative model of Māori representation that has wide support," said Mrs Southgate.

"What the Māngai Māori bring to council in terms of their connections, their skills, their experience and their people is incredibly useful."

The Māngai Māori initiative was a finalist in the Cultural Wellbeing category of the 2019 Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Excellence Awards.

Waikato District Council agreed last year to introduce Māngai Māori to three of its committees. Waipa District Council also announced last year two iwi representatives will sit on council's decision making committees this year.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

12 Jul 06:00 AM
Waikato Herald

Home build dream shattered after business hacked and woman launders couple’s $150k

12 Jul 01:00 AM
Waikato Herald

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

12 Jul 12:43 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel
Waikato Herald

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

12 Jul 06:00 AM

These snakes are highly venomous – the public and pets should keep clear.

Home build dream shattered after business hacked and woman launders couple’s $150k
Waikato Herald

Home build dream shattered after business hacked and woman launders couple’s $150k

12 Jul 01:00 AM
Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm
Waikato Herald

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

12 Jul 12:43 AM
Legal hook means buyers risk losing thousands on some Kāinga Ora homes

Legal hook means buyers risk losing thousands on some Kāinga Ora homes

11 Jul 08:45 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP