Joint Management Agreement wins award
The Joint Management Agreement signed between Ngti Tkwharetoa and Taupo District Council earlier this year has won a major award at the 2009 New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) Conference.
Taupo District Council, the Tkwharetoa Mori Trust Board and Barker & Associates were awarded the Nancy Northcroft Planning Practise Award at the NZPI conference held in Rotorua earlier this month. The Nancy Northcroft award is handed out annually to recognise excellence in planning on a national level. The Joint Management Agreement was chosen as the winner over two other finalists - from Auckland City Council and Wellington City Council.
The historic agreement, granting Ngti Tkwharetoa decision-making powers in resource consent decisions, was signed between iwi and local government in January 2009 and marked the first time a New Zealand local government body has allocated powers to an iwi in this way.
The New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) Awards Committee said the agreement represented a significant milestone in planning for tangata whenua. They commended the three parties involved for the development of a creative and innovative governance structure, giving effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, implementing empowering provisions of the Resource Management Act and paving the way for extending the ‘iwi’ partnership in the future.
Mayor Rick Cooper said he was very pleased to hear that the agreement had won the award and commended the quality work of the staff involved. “It is good to see this piece of work being acknowledged at such a high level nationally. This Council supports and encourages the contribution from Ngti Tkwharetoa and we feel it is appropriate that they have some real authority and input into the decision making process,” he says.