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Auckland council’s draft budget will include support for Maori economic development and marae development, in line with recommendations from the Independent Maori Statutory Board.
Mayor Len Brown says it’s time to start implementing some of the board’s Maori Plan for Auckland.
He says the super city’s predecessor councils have traditionally helped with marae capital development alongside iwi and public contributions, such as the sewerage upgrade to Ngai Tai’s Umupuia Marae in the south-east.
"For years and years it just sat there without development and so we ensured that they were able to get sewerage into the place and so now it's pretty much finished so very focused contribution to marae development to assist in the finalisation or the upgrading of marae to make them, as we all want, really great social community hubs," Mr Brown says.
The draft budget also includes proposals to bring the council’s lowest-paid workers up to the living wage over the next three years.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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