Listen Now: 
The chair of Auckland Independent Maori Statutory Board says the body looking after the city’s volcanic cones needs to be given time to find its feet.
The Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki Makaurau Authority held public consultations yesterday on its draft operational plan, which sets out what it expects from Auckland Council in terms of management of the cones.
The authority is made up of mana whenua, council and local board representatives, and it has already raised comment with its intention to ban cars from the summit of Maungawhau-Mt Eden.
David Taipare says the Independent Maori Statutory Board came under similar negative scrutiny at the start.
"It’s only early days for that authority which has come out of a treaty settlement negotiation. I’m open to giving the councilors, the local boards and the mana whenua reps time to get some good clear practice and standards around the maunga. The common objective here is the upkeep and interests of the maunga. It’s not about the people so much, it’s about the maunga," he says.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
