Elected Members recently confirmed their support for having a non-voting iwi representative on the Council and to establish one iwi representative role with voting rights to each of the two standing committees – Strategy Finance and Performance, and Environment Regulatory and Operations.
An iwi representative can provide additional te ao Māori perspectives and diverse points of view at the table, which can help strengthen our decision-making.
The purpose of iwi representatives is to assist us in meeting our obligations under legislation to facilitate participation by Māori in local authority decision-making processes. It also recognises the partnership agreement signed in 2023 by Te Tauihu Iwi and Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman Councils – Together Te Tauihu – A Partnership Agreement for a Stronger Te Tauihu.
To date, Tasman District Council has benefited from an iwi representative on the former Operations Committee, three on the Local Water Done Well Governance Board and on two Joint Committees between Nelson City and Tasman District.
We had previously resolved to have a non-voting iwi representative on the Council and a voting iwi representative on each of the then-standing committees.
With the new 2025 – 2028 triennium, given the previous Council decision to appoint iwi representatives, it was necessary to confirm appointments and delegations for the updated committee structure.
These roles have been budgeted for as part of the 2024 – 2034 10-Year Plan and the 2024/2025 Annual Plan. Iwi Chairs are nominating representatives for the roles, and the appointments will be confirmed by the Council soon after.
We look forward to welcoming the new representatives as they bring their knowledge and perspectives to the table.