Northland Regional Council has put in place a raft of new funding to continue invigorating the critical Te Tiriti strategy, Tāiki ē.

Tāiki ē is the joint Te Tiriti Strategy and Implementation Plan of council and Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party. Both parties are committed to giving effect to their responsibilities to tāngata whenua of Te Taitokerau under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The adoption of council’s new 10-year budget has locked in more funding to help grow council’s capacity to deliver on the many actions set out in Tāiki ē.A total of $1.74 million of new budget has been committed over the next three years to grow council’s capacity to deliver on Te Tiriti relationships, including:

• Two independent tāngata whenua members each for the Infrastructure Committee as well as the Audit, Risk, and Finance Committee.
• Te reo Māori interpreting services.
• An additional staff member in the Māori Relationships Team.
• Two hapori liaison officers.
• A Kaiārahi Kaupapa Māori staff member.
• Redirecting some of council’s existing Environmental Fund toward increasing the Environmental Monitoring Fund.

Creating and sustaining meaningful partnerships with tāngata whenua is key to a thriving Te Taitokerau, and there’s much more work to be done.

The additional funding will help grow council’s technical Māori expertise, support kaitiaki who are delivering critical mahi in partnership with council, help to resolve issues raised by iwi and hapū around resource consents and water quality, and deliver better outcomes for council and tāngata whenua in the region.

Find out more in the summary of decisions for our new Long Term Plan.