Manukau City Council has removed a member it appointed to its trail-blazing Treaty of Waitangi committee.
James Brown was deputy to the chairman, Mayor Sir Barry Curtis. He is also chief executive of the Ngai Tai Umupuia Te Waka Totara Trust and was that iwi's representative.
However, a
closed meeting of the council on Wednesday night, chaired by Sir Barry, resolved to rescind his appointment, cut communications with him and ban him from entering council buildings.
Council chief executive Leigh Auton said that over the past few weeks staff, elected members and the council received verbal and written threats and accusations from Mr Brown. Mr Auton said these included threats of physical assault.
Sir Barry said the decision was not reached lightly. Mr Brown had "performed well" as deputy chairman from the inception of the committee, which is trying to tackle urban Maori problems with health, education, housing and economic development.
"But alas his behaviour in recent times is totally unacceptable to the council.The matter has been dealt with appropriately."
Sir Barry said his council continued to have "an excellent relationship" with the city's 27 urban marae and would seek a meeting with Ngai Tai Umupuia trustees who had signed a relationship agreement with the council.
Committee member, councillor Arthur Anae said he was disappointed to see emails from Mr Brown and said that such behaviour could not be tolerated. He was assured that Maori were consulted about Mr Brown's removal.
Mr Brown was yesterday consulting lawyers and said neither he nor the trust could make a statement at this stage. However, he said the trust had severed the relationship with the council a week ago.
There was concern that the council breached a series of agreements on a wide range of matters and there was a history of concerns going back 12 years. Three council officials had been "trespassed" from the marae and he said the council had been advised they would be turned away again.
