Hastings councillors clash over mana whenua seat on new water forum

There was heated debate at Thursday's Hastings District Council meeting following a bid to remove a mana whenua representative from a new council organisation's shareholder forum.

• Correction: A previous version of this story said mana whenua representative Mike Paku would sit on the board of the new CCO. He will sit on the CCO’s shareholder forum. This forum can make recommendations for who should sit on the board, but it has no decision-making power.

A Hastings councillor has failed in his bid to remove a mana whenua representative from a forum of a new council organisation to manage the region’s water services.

A council meeting was held on Thursday to handle the introduction of new Local Water Done Well regulations from the Government.

At the meeting, councillor Steve Gibson asked for an amendment, saying Mike Paku’s appointment as a mana whenua representative to the Water Services Council-controlled Organisation’s (WSCCO) shareholder forum should be removed as a recommendation.

This prompted strong challenges from councillors Hana Montaperto-Hendry, Yvonne Lorkin, Kellie Jessup, Siiam Daniel, Nick Ratcliffe, Heather Te Au-Skipworth and Henare O’Keefe, who called for unity among councillors.

“There were people in this room who at the election were very popular but couldn’t lead their way out of a conga line,” Lorkin said.

In July 2025, Central Hawke’s Bay District, Hastings District and Napier City Councils agreed to form the jointly owned WSCCO.

The forum is a coordination and advisory body, with no decision-making powers. Its principle purpose is to bring together the views of Hawke’s Bay’s three shareholder councils (with their 39 councillors) and provide advice as required.

Gibson’s amendment was voted down 13-2, with Gibson and councillor Simon Nixon voting for it.

Gibson said New Zealanders voted clearly in the 2023 general election to reject a co-governance model associated with Three Waters.

“That policy was a central reason for the electoral defeat of the previous Labour Government and the support shown for National and its coalition partners.

“It is also important to note that Hastings residents expressed their position on this broader issue.

“In 2025, voters rejected the establishment of Māori ward seats in Hastings.”

Councillor Hana Montaperto-Hendry said there “was nothing to be scared of in appointing a mana whenua representative”.

Lorkin said it was no surprise to her that Gibson had brought this to the table.

She said opposing unelected appointments on council committees ignored why appointments such as Paku’s were made in the first place.

“It rejects experience and lived expertise. Councils deal with incredibly complex issues, things like urban design ... and in this case water.”

She said often the most qualified people to lead these organisations were not politicians.

Lorkin said “elected popularity doesn’t necessarily lead to leadership ability”.

Gibson said the remark was insulting to the people at the council table, to which Lorkin replied: “I wasn’t focusing that on anyone, but I will sit down. I think I have made my point.”

The council then voted on the appointment of Mayor Wendy Schollum, her deputy Michael Fowler and Mike Paku as the three representatives on the shareholder forum.

Council papers said the recommendation of Paku was based on his knowledge of the council’s three waters service areas, in particular the work with mana whenua and the council team with the Waiaroha Policy, his previous work and associations with the Joint Tangata Whenua Wastewater committee, and previous involvement as former chair of the Heretaunga Takoto Noa Māori standing committee.

He also has wider governance experience, including, among other roles, as the chair of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga.

Central Hawke’s Bay District Council and Napier City Council are yet to appoint their representatives.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.