Eight years ago, when Hamilton planner Reginald Proffit (Ngāti Porou) turned up to his first New Zealand Planners Institute (NZPI) conference, there was one other Māori in the room.

This year, numbers have increased to closer to 20 and there is also substantial increase in interest from the wider planning profession about Māori planning, and on working with iwi Māori on planning issues.

So much so, that there is now a Special Interest Group for Māori - Papa Pounamu, within NZPI, and a day prior to the main conference devoted to Māori issues. This year the focus was on Co-Management and Partnership.

Reginald, who is also Papa Pounamu Chair, says there are a growing number of examples from around the country of successful resource management partnerships with Māori, including the Waikato Raupatu River Trust and Ngāti Kuia Fisheries.

“We want to provide a forum where others can learn from these examples, and inspire discussion about what else can be done,” he says.

Support for the planning hui is one of a number of initiatives within Te Puni Kōkiri to enable greater Māori involvement in resource management.

Resources and Economic Growth Acting Manager Tikitu Tutua-Nathan says the results of a Kaitiaki Survey undertaken late last year showed huge interest among Māori in getting involved in resource management.

“Two-thirds (79) of the groups involved in iwi or hapū environment issues responded to the survey and that has given us a clear steer about both the challenges that limit their involvement, and some potential solutions to those challenges,” Tikitu says.

“Most groups that took part in the survey have five or fewer people working for them, and yet spent up to 40 hours a week on environmental work. That is a big indication of the commitment Māori have to the environment, and we want to work with iwi and hapū to support that commitment.”

Tikitu says the information from the survey will be used to advise government, including local government, on Māori involvement in resource management.

But already Te Puni Kōkiri has partnered with Local Government New Zealand to develop a workshop aimed at councillors and council staff.

The workshop helps participants understand Te Ao Māori more and engage effectively with Māori. So far it has been delivered once, with plans to repeat it around the country after this year’s local government elections.

“This is a great workshop. We see it as ‘a must’ for elected representatives especially,” says Local Government New Zealand Professional Development Manager Anne Gibson.

“We had an excellent response. As one person said ‘it made us hungry for more’.”

Te Puni Kōkiri has been a part of the consultation process on resource management and freshwater reforms. We have been working with the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) to help refine the proposals to ensure they achieve the best outcomes for Māori. Since March, MfE has held 13 hui and a number of iwi/Māori organisations made submissions on the resource management and freshwater proposals, signalling a strong interest in these important kaupapa. Te Puni Kōkiri will track progress on these reforms and provide an update in our next edition of Kōkiri.