Listen Now: 
The Auckland Independent Māori Statutory Board is no longer an all male club, with four wahine coming on board to represent iwi in the Auckland region.
Board members sit alongside elected councillors on Auckland Council committees to give Māori input into decision-making.
Tame Te Rangi, the convenor of the board’s appointment process, says four members have been returned.
They are the Mataawaka representatives John Tamihere and Tony Kake, chair David Taipari from Ngāti Maru, and Glenn Wilcox from Ngāti Whatua.
The new members are Karen Wilson from Te Akitai, Waipareira chair Josie Smith from Ngāti Te Ata, Precious Clark from Ngāti Whatua ō Orakei, Liane Ngamane from Ngāti Tamatera, and Chris McDonald from Ngāti Wai.
Mr Te Rangi says while the first preference of Māori was for elected Māori seats on the super city council, they are making the board work.
"I think there is a long way to go in terms of being clearly representative of Māori in Tāmaki but the legislation is what we have to work to and that process sets out seven mana whenua representatives and two mataawaka representatives," he says.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
RELATED NEWS
