October 02, 2019
Iwi partnership highlight of Waikato council work
The chair of the Waikato Regional Council says strong partnerships with iwi are helping the council to achieve progress on issues like cleaning up the Waikato River.
Alan Livingston says the council achieved a small surplus this year against a forecast deficit of $1.6 million.
It also achieved a 15 percent reduction in carbon emissions, although this was largely due to less rainfall which meant less use of flood pumps.
He says partnerships and joint management agreements with iwi got further than just being a treaty obligation.
"It's a recognition that if we work together the dollar and the benefit goes that much further. In that regard with iwi being landowners, having strong economic interests, obviously cultural and social interests, and if we work together we are achieving much better outcomes, and that is showing through quite clearly," Mr Livingston says.
He's one of four Waikato Regional councillors stepping down at this month's election, in which Māori councillors Tipa Mahuta and Kataraina Hodge have already been reelected unopposed.
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