Ngapuhi runanga 'no' to advisory body seat

Sonny Tau.

The country's largest iwi, Ngapuhi, says it will not sign up to the Northland Regional Council's new Maori advisory committee.

Te Runanga-a-Iwi o Ngapuhi chairman Sonny Tau said that in asking only one hapu on to the Tai Tokerau Advisory Committee the NRC had demonstrated ignorance of Ngapuhi tikanga as well as its own legislation.

The council has Local Government Act as well as Treaty of Waitangi obligations to promote Maori engagement in its processes and decision-making.

"They either open it up to all hapu in Te Tai Tokerau, or they stick with iwi authorities. There are a lot of hapu doing a lot of good work in resource management. To engage one hapu and leave the others to the side is not on," Mr Tau said.

However, the chairman of the new committee, Dover Samuels, said he was "over the mana-munching" that sees the runanga and Tohoronuku, the sub-group claiming independent mandated authority to negotiate Waitangi Treaty settlements, squabbling to be Ngapuhi's only voice.

"This council has opened its doors to real grassroots dialogue and input from hapu who might otherwise not have a voice," Mr Samuels said.

"My kaupapa [aim] is to open the door to the whanau and hapu of Tai Tokerau so they can bring to the table issues that affect them."

There was more to the people and Te Tai Tokerau than the "high flying profile" some iwi authority players were trying to create for themselves, he said.

Mr Tau said the NRC could not engage directly at that "grassroots" level as the Resource Management Act's definition precluded individual hapu from being recognised as an iwi authority.

Thirteen iwi and Ngati Hine hapu were approached by NRC in February. Six have nominated potential members for the committee, which could eventually have a membership of more than 30, comprising two representatives from each invited iwi/hapu, the CEO of Northland Inc, and NRC members Dennis Bowman, Paul Dimery and council chairman Bill Shepherd.

The council has signed off draft terms of reference, establishing a basic framework but not the detail, which would come from discussion among committee members.