March 06, 2013
Council needs to think about everyone
A major consulting firm has told Hamilton City Council that the Māori seats or committee appointees are a better way of ensuring Māori input than its current consultation arrangements.
Two years ago the council voted 9-4 against having separate Māori wards.
In contrast, Waikato Regional Council will elect two Māori seats at the next election.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers has told the Hamilton Council that it should scale back its external contracts with Māori service providers and build up its internal capacity to get Māori input.
It also recommended appointing Māori representatives with full voting rights to council committees.
Matiu Dickson, the Chair of Te Rūnanga ō Kirikiriroa, says the council needs to stop thinking 'them and us' and start thinking 'all of us together'.
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