Iwi Leaders Support Council's Unitary Authority Bid

The Far North District Council could be a unitary authority by 2013 if a new working party succeeds in its bid to gain greater decision-making powers for the district.

The council and iwi leaders have formed a working party to develop a plan to ensure the district’s governance structure better meets the needs of its communities.

The working party will also investigate proposals in the Government’s ‘Better Local Government’ programme and report to council, iwi and the community on reforms to take the district forward.

Mayor Wayne Brown will jointly chair the working party with Te Taitokerau Iwi Leaders representative Rangitane Marsden.

Mayor Brown says the decision to form the working party follows discussions about governance reforms at hui between iwi leaders and the council last year.

Northland mayors and Iwi leaders also met former Local Government Minister Dr Nick Smith at Waitangi in February to discuss their councils’ aspirations for regional governance reform.

Mr Brown was pleased to hear new Local Government Minister David Carter affirm his commitment to the reform programme when he met him earlier this month.

“The government has signalled that it wants to see a refocused and more efficient local government sector that is more fiscally responsible by October 2013.”

He is particularly encouraged by government proposals to streamline council reorganisation procedures.

“The changes make it easier for my council to become a unitary authority, so we are keen to make some progress on this issue while the government is receptive to change.”

Transferring powers and assets from the Northland Regional Council would mean more decisions about the Far North would be made by people in the district.

“The current system doesn’t serve the district well because decisions made by locally-elected councillors are undermined by a body that is Whangarei-centric and remote from Far North communities and their issues.”

Making the Far North District Council a unitary authority would also simplify governance and reduce bureaucracy.

“It’s confusing and costly for ratepayers and customers to have to deal with two councils and merging administrative functions would save millions of dollars.”

Having Maori seats on the Council would also make it easier to build broader consensus around decision-making and show leadership from all sides to progressing the positive future of Northland together.”

Mr Marsden says iwi leaders who attended a meeting in Kaitaia in February supported the idea of a unitary authority with direct Maori representation.

However, they wanted input on any proposed governance structure from an early stage.

Any proposal to offer Maori direct representation on a unitary authority would need to be based on principles of partnership in the Treaty of Waitangi and reflect the strategic priorities of iwi.