New Zealand First says it will campaign on abolishing Auckland Council’s Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB), arguing the body has too much influence over council decision-making without being directly elected by ratepayers.
Party leader Winston Peters announced the policy this week, saying a member’s bill had been drafted and introduced to disestablish the board, also known as Houkura.
In its statement, NZ First said the board had become embedded across council planning, funding, procurement and performance systems since the creation of the Auckland Super City in 2010.
“Aucklanders were never asked whether they agreed to fund or empower a parallel governance system within their council,” the party said.
NZ First said ratepayers paid $3.5 million last year to support the board’s operations and argued the arrangement had contributed to a “democratic deficit”.
The party says removing the board would not stop Auckland Council engaging with Māori, but would ensure decisions affecting public spending were made through “democratically accountable structures”.
Tuia News contacted several members of the IMSB for comment. All declined to comment at this stage, with one member saying the board was expected to meet over the next few days.
What’s the scope of the IMSB?
The IMSB was established under Auckland local government reforms as part of the creation of the Super City. Its purpose is to help Auckland Council make decisions, perform functions and exercise powers in a way that promotes cultural, economic, environmental and social issues of significance to mana whenua and mataawaka.
It also has a role in helping ensure Auckland Council meets statutory obligations relating to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The board is independent of Auckland Council and has nine members — seven mana whenua representatives and two mataawaka representatives. Members are appointed by a selection body made up of mana whenua representatives, with terms generally aligned to the local government cycle.
Under current arrangements, the board can appoint up to two members to Auckland Council committees dealing with the management and stewardship of natural and physical resources. Those appointees have voting rights on those committees.
The policy comes as the Government has already announced changes to restrict voting on most council committees to elected members only. Local Government Minister Simon Watts said earlier this month that councillors are directly accountable to voters and “only elected members” should hold voting rights at council committee meetings.
Peters has also backed wider moves against unelected voting rights on councils, saying NZ First supported ACT MP Cameron Luxton’s bill on the issue.