Former councillor Bill Burdett labels Ngati Porou’s roading authority proposal as ridiculous

Long-serving Gisborne district councillor and former runanga trustee Bill Burdett says Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou should not have a governance role in roading. Photo / Rebecca Grunwell

Former long-serving Gisborne district councillor Bill Burdett has slammed a Ngati Porou proposal for a regional roading authority with joint Crown, council and iwi/hapū governance.

Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou presented the proposal to the Gisborne Transport Committee earlier this month, but Burdett said the runanga had no expertise or background in roading.

Burdett was a Waiapu-Matakaoa-based councillor for 24 years, a long-serving member of the transport committee and a three-term runanga trustee under the leadership of the late Dr Apirana Mahuika.

The proposal of the runanga to have a governance role in roading was “quite ridiculous” and it was not the role of an iwi to be involved in roading, he said.

The council and NZ Transport Agency were doing a “pretty good job” in roading, while it was too early to judge the performance of Transport Rebuild East Coast (Trec).

Council staff and contractors had the expertise in roading, he said.

“They’ve done a very good job so far, never mind the opinions of other people.

“I’ve been up and down the Coast since Cyclone Gabrielle - it was a tough ask.

“I think they’re doing a good job.

“There are far more important issues in terms of tribal requirements - that’s where their attention should be.”

Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou wants the authority also to be responsible for protecting and restoring the Waiapu catchment, which State Highway 35 runs through.

Burdett said he had served on the monthly forum for the Joint Management Agreement (JMA) between council and the runanga for the management of RMA responsibilities and other legislation relating to land and water resources within or affecting the Waiapu catchment.

But the JMA was “all talk and no action”.

The runanga was the same, he said.

Burdett said Dr Api Mahuika had been a very productive chairman who wanted to get things done, and he was missed.

Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou was given the opportunity to respond.