Listen Now: 
Download AudioA new Māori ward councillor on Rotorua Lakes Council says the city is a testament to the value of co-governance.
Rawiri Waru says he’s no stranger to the council, having spent the past six years as a Te Arawa representative on its operations and monitoring committee.
He told Radio Waatea talk host Shane Te Pou that Te Arawa has shown how working together delivers better results.
“The whole township was founded on that notion of he mahitahi. Gifted reserves for everyone, nga iwi katoa, everything happened and we’ve had the recent upgrade of the lakefront, developments in the Whakarewarewa Forest – there’s quite a lot of activity, it wouldn’t have happened if iwi weren’t involved,” Mr Waru says.
He’s looking forward to working with whanaunga and new mayor Tania Tapsell, who already has considerable experience through her three terms as a councillor.
