Publications

Treaty Audit Response

Council completed its Māori Employment Strategy and released the Māori Responsiveness toolkit, now being used across the council group to guide their work.

Under-expenditure of council’s budget allocated to Māori outcomes was closely monitored by the Board. The Board commissioned independent auditor PwC to review of council’s expenditure on Māori outcomes.

Māori Responsiveness

Auckland Council established an executive leadership group Te Toa Takatini to lead and co-ordinate council responsiveness to Māori outcomes and give effect to its Treaty obligations.

Board concerns to increase capability in marae and papakāinga development led to the Māori Housing Programme being established to coordinate and streamline the consenting process, and to better engage Māori in planning provisions and Unitary Plan issues.

Board also advocated unlocking land for Māori housing development through Panuku.

The Māori Report

The Board released the Māori Report in October 2016, the first progress report against the 21 headline indicators of the Māori Plan.

Auckland Unitary Plan

The Board opposed council’s decision to delete sites of value and the cultural landscapes provisions in the Unitary Plan.
A report on cultural landscapes commissioned from Mitchell Daysh was completed. The Board plans to work further with the council on cultural landscapes.

The Māori Economy and Rangatahi

The Board commissioned NZIER to produce further analysis of the Māori economy and opportunities for growth, particularly for rangatahi.

Māori Urban Design

The Board continued to advocate for expression of Māori Urban Design and public art in the development of Auckland and its infrastructure.

The appointment of a Māori Design Lead in the Auckland Design Office during the year is bring a champion for better Māori outcomes.

The Ōtāhuhu Railway Station and new Highbury Library opened during the year and the ongoing Capital Properties development in QEII are being considered examples of good practice in Māori urban design.

Signature Māori Event

The 2017 Tāmaki Herenga Waka Festival, held over Auckland Anniversary weekend was attended by 30,189 visitors, a 232% increase from the previous year.

Council Te Reo Policy

The Board’s advocacy was instrumental in the development of the council’s Māori Language Policy and Implementation Plan, endorsed at the Planning Committee in September 2016. The plan provides guidance to integrate Te Reo Māori into council activities using many platforms including bi-lingual signage.

Marae Development

A new process for the Māori Cultural Initiatives Fund enabled funds to be released for marae development through the year and improved previous practice of releasing funds in the final months to marae in the financial year.

A new fund coordinator role was appointed in the council’s Māori Responsiveness Hub to administer the fund and develop and implement an action plan.