Te Arawa speaks out

(Clockwise from left) Karla Kereopa, Potaua Biasiny-Tule, Arapeta Tahana and Kingi Biddle say there's nothing to fear about the Te Arawa Partnership Proposal. Photo / Stephen Parker

Former Te Arawa Standing Committee members say they want to set the record straight regarding the controversial Te Arawa Partnership Proposal saying misinformation and fear-mongering promoted by some members of the Rotorua community is not helping the debate.

It's the first time since Te Arawa presented its partnership proposal to Rotorua Lakes Council in December that they have spoken to the Rotorua Daily Post.

The proposal could see the establishment of an iwi board outside the council structure to replace the former Te Arawa Standing Committee.

Te Arawa would appoint or elect a board of up to 14 people with two representatives - with voting rights - to sit on the council's operations and monitoring committee and on its strategy, policy and finance committee, with one on the chief executive performance committee and another representative on Resource Management Act hearings panels.

Former committee members, Potaua Biasiny-Tule, Arapeta Tahana and Kingi Biddle, and former council policy analyst and Maori research officer Karla Kereopa said it was an important issue for the community to discuss.

"It's important people have their say and we always wanted this to go out for community consultation, but it is disappointing that some sectors of the community have attempted to derail this process," Mr Tahana said.

Mr Biddle said it was also encouraging the people of Te Arawa had engaged with the process and wanted to have their say.

"The journey started with us, but now it's in the hands of the people. It's a conversation Rotorua needs to be having.

"There are simmering issues out there in the community and it's great to get these out in the open. This helps us all get a better understanding of each other."

They said the entire process and the proposal was democratic.

"It's been run through a democratic process from the start. Thirteen councillors requested a proposal from Te Arawa, they then voted to go ahead with consultation on that proposal.

"Any decision will be made by those democratically elected people on behalf of the whole community," Mr Tahana said.

He said any Te Arawa election process would have to be robust.

"It's not going to be a select group who will decide who will represent the iwi.

"For a long time we have not been a part of any council processes, our voices have not been heard," Mr Biasiny-Tule said.

"We are not driving it, but we are in the passenger seat - at least we are in the same car."

He said people should not be concerned that "Maori are getting too much power. This is not just about Te Arawa, it's about all of Rotorua".

The group said it would be open for change if the council saw fit to alter the proposal. "Te Arawa is adaptable, we have demonstrated in the past. As long as those changes protect the principles we are putting forward," Mr Tahana said.

The submission period ends on April 17 with hearings for those who want to be heard in person to support their submission on April 30 and May 1.

The council will then deliberate on those submissions on May 26 before making its final decision.