Environment Southland appoints mana whenua representatives to council committees
From Stuff article by Rachael Kelly
Four mana whenua representatives will be appointed to Environment Southland committees at a full council meeting on Wednesday.
Mana whenua representatives Stewart Bull, Estelle Leask, Gail Thompson and Ann Wakefield will be appointed to Environment Southland committees.
Gail Thompson and Estelle Leask will be appointed to the Regional Services Committee (Rōpū Ratonga-a-Rhoe), and Stewart Bull and Ann Wakefield be appointed to Strategy and Policy Committee (Rautaki me Mahere).
A report from the council’s democracy services executive assistant Jan Brown, which will be tabled at the meeting, says the council resolved to approve the creation and appointment of two mana whenua members to the committees at a meeting in February 2019.
The appointments would further the relationship with iwi under the Charter of Understanding, and also mean the regional council would meet its Local Government Act 2002 obligations to facilitate Māori into the decision-making processes used by council, the report says.
An invitation was issued to Te Ao Mārama Inc to make nominations to these positions, and since that time it has been working through its nomination and appointment processes.
Te Ao Mārama Inc represents Ngai Tahu ki Murihiku tangata whenua for resource management and local government purposes.
The principles, key competencies and accountability requirements that were considered by council were provided to assist them with this process. Potential or interested candidates would be invited to sit in on committee meetings prior to confirming their interest, the report says.
The council’s resolution on the appointments to the mana whenua roles provides that the nominees be in place based on the triennial election cycle. Local government elections will be held in October, and at the inaugural council meeting for the next council, these appointments will need to be addressed.
Posted: 9 March 2022