May 26, 2015
Te Arawa partnership plan passed
Rotorua Lakes Council has voted 8-5 to adopt a partnership model proposed by Te Arawa.
Mayor Steve Chadwick said she campaigned on partnership with iwi, partnership with business, and partnership with the community, and the new structure will achieve a major leg of that.
She was proud all councillors spoke on the motion, including those who have campaigned behind the scenes against it.
She says despite the mistruths and misinformation put out about the plan, the real truth prevailed.
Under the plan an independent Te Arawa Board elected by the Te Arawa community will nominate representatives to certain council committees, RMA consent hearing panels and strategic working groups.
Those representatives appointed to the two main committees, Strategy, Policy & Finance and Operations & Monitoring, will have voting rights.
Te Arawa Partnership Model working party member Arapeta Tahana says it’s a major improvement on the old Te Arawa Standing Committee.
"From a strategic perspective we think this is much more than just meeting legislative requirements of the council. It's really about a strategic relationship so we could advance the development of Rotorua, and many of us know that Te Arawa are key players from a number of perspectives in making that happen," Mr Tahana says.
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