E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatangamaha o Te Moana ā Toitehuatahi tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. E ngā iwi me te hāpori Māori, mai Ngā Kurī a Whārei ki Tihirau, mai Maketū ki Tauhara huri noa i te rohe o Toi Moana kei te mihi.

I te wā o Matariki, ka maumahara tātou i a rātou kua wehe atu ki te pō. Mā Pohutukawa e toia ana ngā mate ki te waka o Tamarereti, kia tae atu ki ngā rangi tūhāhā, tau ana.

We would like to acknowledge and remember all of those who have passed over the last year and those most recently. E kore rātou e warewaretia. 

Hoki anō ki a tātou te hunga ora, tēnā hoki tātou katoa.

We are delighted to announce that Hon Nanaia Mahuta (Minister of Local Government, Foreign Affairs and Associate Minister of Māori Development) has accepted our tono to attend Komiti Māori to be held at Te Papaiouru Marae, on Tuesday 17 August. 

As the first Council to establish Māori constituencies, we are genuinely committed to increasing Māori partnerships and deliver on the expectations coming from central government. Komiti Māori has always provided a unique way to engage with tangata whenua throughout our rohe, which we can only enhance going forward.

Komiti Māori Members 2021

Recent changes to the Komiti Māori terms of reference include becoming a committee of the whole embracing all Toi Moana councillors to participate in its business.  Meetings on marae will continue throughout the region, these will be alternated to accommodate in-house meetings (meetings held at Council venues).   

Komiti Māori has retained its process of rotating the role of Chair as it moves around the region. Each of our Māori Constituent Councillors will chair the hui when held in their rohe respectively, noting that Councillor Matemoana McDonald is the overall Chair of this committee.

Opportunities for shared decision-making and mechanisms to build capacity and improve working relationships with Māori will feature in the development of the Komiti Māori work programme.  

These changes are consistent with our strategic priority to increase Māori partnerships.

(L-R) Councillors: Toi Kai Rākau Iti, David Love, Te Taru White, Kevin Winters, Matemoana McDonald, Bill Clark, Stuart Crosby, Stacey Rose, Jane Nees, Doug Leeder, Lyall Thurston, Norm Bruning, Andrew von Dadelszen, Paula Thompson. (Back) Chief Executive: Fiona Mc Tavish. 

Kia eke mai ki runga i te paepae poto a Houmaitawhiti!

Komiti Māori will be held on Tuesday 17 August 2021 to be held on Te Papaiouru Marae, Mataiāwhea Street, Ōhinemutu in Rotorua. 

The meeting will commence with a pōhiri at 9.30am with the meeting to start at approx. 10:00am. Lunch will be served at 12.00pm.

Tentative Agenda for Komiti Māori:

0915    Assemble at waharoa
0930    Pōhiri (the Minister will be joining the pōhiri)
0950    Kapu tī
1000    Hui commences with welcomes and meeting formalities
1010    Minister Mahuta
1040    Tangata whenua presentations
1200    Lunch (Minister Mahuta will depart following lunch)
1245    Hui continues
1400    Kua mutu

Manuhiri to be welcomed onto the marae - please enter via Ariariterangi Street & Tūnohopū Street. Car parking is available by the Anglican Church/Te Ao Marama Saint Faith’s Church on Hurunga Street adjacent to Te Papaiouru Marae. 

The confirmed agenda will be available to view on Tuesday 10 August. If you have any further questions please contact Kataraina O'Brien.

Kaupapa Māori Update - Te Mana o te Wai

Currently, as part of the wider work programme for freshwater, our Kaupapa Māori team is working to host the Ministry for the Environment Te Mana o te Wai workshops with tangata whenua. 

The next workshop will be held on Wednesday 11 August in Rotorua from 10am-2pm. Please contact Kakahurimu.paekau@mfe.govt.nz to register and to confirm the venue. 

We will also be launching the online engagement page for tangata whenua to be able to map their values for freshwater spaces such as mahinga kai. If you would like to be put on the email list for when this goes live, please email Anaru Vercoe.

Long term plan, Whakaekengia tēnei waka, has been adopted. 

Toi Moana adopted the Long Term Plan on 28 June 2021, which sets out investment for the next 10 years.

As part of Council's Māori Partnership Strategic Priority, $1.8m will be divvied up across Freshwater Māori Engagement, co-governance and other initiatives around Māori capacity and capability.

Kataraina O'Brien (Komiti Māori champion and manager of Te Amorangi) has been promoted to the Leadership Team of Toi Moana as the Director of Strategic Engagement. Strategic engagement is now comprised of three teams; Te Amorangi (formerly Māori Policy), Communications and Engagement.  Congratulations Kataraina!

These changes will enable Regional Council to operationalise and deliver the direction we have received via the Long Term Plan. Specifically, the enhanced expectations and delivery of mahi within the Māori Partnerships and Community Participation strategic priorities. 

What could local government look like in the future?

The traditional roles and functions of Local Government are in the process of changing. Government wants to make sure that throughout all of the released changes, we build the best possible system that is focussed on the wellbeing of our communities – they are calling this the ‘Future for Local Government’ review. 

As part of the submission from Toi Moana we’d like to add some high-level feedback from our communities about the sorts of things local government (including local, regional and unitary types) should start doing, stop doing or keep doing. 

There will be other opportunities to have your say and let government know how you think local government could be structured. But this is an early chance to ‘reimagine the role and function of local government’ with your key thoughts, concerns or ideas. 

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on our Participate page which will be open until 12th August. 

Consents planners and compliance officer roles are available, apply now!

The Consents and Compliance Teams at Toi Moana have got a range of positions available, fixed term and permanent, Consents Planners and Compliance Officers. There is a good mix of office and field based work to ensure you have the opportunity to get out and enjoy our rohe as well as switching the brain to office mode.
We welcome diversity as an opportunity to grow our teams and are keen to support people of all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and disabilities/ abilities. We want the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to be a place where you can bring your whole self to work, so if you think you can do it, we are keen to give you a crack.
We are keen to explore opportunities to support people into these roles, internships and secondments are all possibilities.

Freshwater farm plans open for consultation

On 14 July, Government ministers released the consultation documents for freshwater farm plans and stock exclusion low slope maps. These are part of the Government's Essential Freshwater package. Public consultation with farmers, agricultural sector groups, iwi and Māori, councils, and environmental groups will run from 26 July - 12 September.

Freshwater farm plans are a crucial tool in implementing the Government's Essential Freshwater package. The consultation document seeks feedback on options that will inform the development of freshwater farm plan regulations under part 9A of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020. Section 2.5 of the discussion document relates to the role of Tangata whenua in the planning process.

We encourage you to make a submission including your rationale and provide supporting evidence where appropriate. Submissions close 12 September 2021.

Toi Moana to fly the Māori flag at their offices, everyday.

On Wednesday 4 August, at the Strategy and Policy Committee hui it was agreed to amend Council’s existing policy to fly the National Māori flag at Toi Moana Regional Council every day. This is in accordance with the New Zealand Ministry of Culture and Heritage national principles and protocols. 

In the past, the flag has been flown for specific occasions such as Waitangi Day. The flag is now flying at the Tauranga and Whakatāne offices.

Flying the national Māori flag daily, alongside the NZ National flag, is symbolic of the need for Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council to work in partnership with Māori in regards to the sustainable management of the region’s natural resources such as freshwater.