Mayor wants Maori board meetings to be open

Len Brown. Photo / Doug Sherring

Auckland Mayor Len Brown says he expects the city's Maori Statutory Board to hold public meetings wherever possible.

He was speaking after the nine-member board held a public powhiri at its inaugural meeting yesterday and then closed the meeting proper to the media.

Mr Brown was among about 100 people, including councillors Alf Filipaina and Des Morrison, at the powhiri for the opening session of the independent board at the old Auckland Regional Council building.

Last night, a spokesman for Mr Brown said he did not know why some parts of the meeting were held in private, but it was the mayor's view that whenever possible, the board should hold its meetings in public.

The same applied to the Pacific Peoples and Ethnic advisory boards, the spokesman said.

Mr Brown said during the election campaign that the seven council-controlled organisations made up of unelected boards of businesspeople should publish their agendas and their meetings should be open to the public.

He said he would start by requiring the two biggest CCOs - Auckland Transport and Watercare Services - to hold public meetings along standing orders used by councils.

The future push for Maori seats will be a soft one if yesterday's Maori board is a measure of the issue's heat.

Civic leaders say the seats position recognises there are other important issues for Maori in the city.

About 100 people, including Mr Brown, met the Iwi Leaders Group at the weekend and indicated the issue would be an important, albeit slow-burning one for the council.

Yesterday, the mayor said it would come under closer scrutiny in 12 to 18 months as part of a council review of representation.

In the meantime, the council and the board could focus on issues including bedding in co-governance arrangements for the city's maunga/volcanic peaks, the council's spatial plan, resource management and Auckland marae capitalising on the tourism spend for the Rugby World Cup.

Independent of the Auckland Council, the board has governing legislation that is loose. It is yet to nut out a work programme. But it has statutory obligations to ensure the council takes the views of Maori into account when making decisions.

Mr Brown said seeing how it would all work was an "unfolding story."

David Taipari was chosen as the chairman, with Patience Te Ao as his deputy. The other statutory appointees are Anahera Morehu, Glenn Wilcox, Glen Tupuhi, James Brown, Wayne Knox, Tony Kake and John Tamihere.

- Additional reporting Bernard Orsman