May 19, 2014
Runanga chokes on Ngati Hine seat
The Ngapuhi Runanga is boycotting the Northland Regional Council’s proposed new Maori Advisory Committee because there is a seat at the table reserved for Ngati Hine.
Regional councillor Dover Samuels says the hapu is included because for resource management purposes Ngati Hine is already considered an iwi authority.
But Ngapuhi Runanga chair Sonny Tau says it’s a sign the regional council has no idea what it’s doing.
He says the council should either open the committee up to all hapu in Te Taitokerau, or stick with iwi authorities.
He says the regional council is trying to dictate who Taitokerau iwi are and are not.
The Ngapuhi Runanga is in a longstanding battle with the Ngati Hine Runanga, which represents its largest hapu, over control of treaty settlement resources.
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