November 28, 2022
Māori board sidelined in council restructure
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says he will call a meeting of all iwi in the region to see how the council can more effectively engage with Māori – and whether his new structure meets legal requirements.
Friday’s council meeting approved a new committee structure which got rid of the finance committee, with all financial decisions now to be made by the governing body as a whole.
This directly affects the Independent Maori Statutory Board, which is represented on committees but not the full council.
Mayor Brown told councillors he had met with IMSB members, including the chair David Taipari, and they’re happy with the overall positioning of the committees.
He says it’s possible statutory board representatives could attend governing gody meetings and vote on finance matters only, or they could have input through a working sub-committee.
The board will also be given a say in appointments, including that of the chief executive.
The Independent Statutory Maori Board was established as a compromise when the previous government rejected having Maori seats on the new super city council.