Mana Whenua Review Left For Incoming Council

Mayor Nobby Clark has won support for leaving a review of its charter with mana whenua for the incoming council.

At today’s council meeting, it was discussed that the review of the charter He Huarahi mō Ngā Uri Whakatupu was already 10 years old, and should be updated every five years.

First signed in 1997 by the four Southland Councils and the four Murihiku Papatipu Rūnaka, the parties to the charter later expanded to include Queenstown Lakes District Council, Clutha District Council and Otago Regional Council. 

Mayor Clark recommended it be left on the table until after Elections 2025, but came up against some resistance.

“It’s an important document as a founding document in our partnership with iwi,” he said, and the new council needed time to understand and embrace it, adding they didn’t need it determined for them.

Mayor Clark said he understood the Local Government Act’s four ‘wellbeings’ were being removed from the charter along with certain aspects of the RMA.

Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell supported Clark but admitted in the past three years, “I was blatantly ignorant of the document’s existence.”

Iwi representative Evelyn Cook was saddened to hear those words from Cr Campbell, that the deputy mayor had gone three years without being aware of it.

She was against delaying its review, despite the uncertainty with new legislation, and concerned that the next council could undo the hard work already done.

Cr Lesley Soper was concerned the new council wouldn’t have enough of an understanding of the charter, leading to a potential “uninformed debate.”

Cr Grant Dermody supported leaving the document on the table as well as Cr Trish Boyle who said it showed respect for the incoming council, “and not an intention to change the excellent understanding we have now.”

Mayor Clark argued that they shouldn’t be making any big decisions three months out from an election, and council staff confirmed it depended on the significance of the outcome and its impact on future councils.

“By leaving it on the table doesn’t undermine it,” Mayor Clark said.