From my submission on the 2007 Draft Annual Plan & LTCCP Review…

Recommendations:

–  That GDC undertake a feasibility study that explores various options for increasing Tangata Whenua participation in decision-making at all levels of the organisation.

– That a discussion document is circulated in the community requesting feedback, particularly from Maori, on the most effective options for increasing Tangata Whenua participation.

– That GDC, in consultation with Tangata Whenua representatives from hapu and iwi in the District adopt the most popular options supported by feedback from Tangata Whenua.

Rationale:

The existing provisions for Tangata Whenua deputations at committee meetings and a Maori Liaison Officer are grossly inadequate mechanisms for supporting positive, constructive and meaningful participation by Tangata Whenua in decision-making processes. The legacy of colonisation and settler society provide ample evidence of manifold injustices that have taken place when Tangata Whenua have not been involved in a meaningful way with decisions made by those with positions of regulatory power.