“I tēnei rā ka huitahi tātou kia maumahara i te hirahiratanga o ngā whānaungatanga i waenga i te Iwi me te Kaunihera, kia waitohu ōkawa nei i te tuhinga ‘Te Manatū o te Māramatanga’ ki tō Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o te Ika me Te Rūnganga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated taha anō hoki,” hei tā Koromatua Justin Lester.
“E whakapono ana au he hononga kōmārohi tā te Kaunihera ki tō ngā iwi e rua taha, e hiahia hoki ana au te mihia rātou mō tō rātou wā, tō rātou kaha ū anō hoki.
“Hai tā te manatu he whakarawe i te pou tarāwaho mō ngā rautaki hono i waenga i ngā iwi me te Kaunihera ka tahi, ka rua he āheinga mō ngā iwi kia whāngai i ētahi whakaaro mō ngā whakatau a te Kaunihera, ka mutu he hāpai i a mātou kia ārahi i ngā tāngata whenua mō te āpōpō.
“Ko ngā kupu a ngā rōpū e rua hei whakaahua i ā rātou kitenga, he kupu e kōrero ana ki te manawa, ki te ngākau o te rangapū, me ngā āhuatanga e hiahia ana kia tutuki tahi ai tātou.
“Hei tā Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o te Ika: Wehea Taitea Kia Tū, Ko te Iho. Whakatahaia te ia rā, arotahi ki ngā rautaki hei whakawhanake i te āpōpō mō ngā kāhui e rua.
“Hei tā Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated: Tū Kotahi Tātou.
“He rite katoa tō tātou whāinga - kia waihanga mai i tētahi āpōpō pai ake nei mō tō tātou Iwi, ā, kia mahi a-rautaki anō hoki. Ehara i te mea e kōrero noa mō āpōpō, kei te kōrero hoki mō ngā whakatupuranga.”
Hei tā te ‘Māori Partnerships Portfolio Lead’, kaikaunihera Jill Day “E kōrero ana mātou kia mahi i ngā mahi e whaipānga ana ki a tātou katoa.
“Hei tauira, ki te Kaunihera he hiahia nō mātou kia mahitahi ki ēnei rangapū kia whakamōhio, kia tautoko anō hoki i te whanaketanga o te ohaoha Māori.
“He hirahira ēnei tuhinga, heoi he tuhinga noa iho - pepa me te tārua. Ko ngā kupu me ngā takune te aronga nui mō mātou.
“Ko tā ēnei tuhinga he pupuri i te oati mō te manaaki, mō te kūmanu i tēnei tāone me ngā tāngata o tēnei tāone. Me timata tātou te whakaahua i tō tātou āngitūtanga,” hei tā Cr Day.
“Kei a mātou te haepapa kia mārama ki a tātou anō me ā tātou hapori, kia mahitahi anō hoki mō te painga o ō tātou iwi, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata,” hei tā te Koromatua.
Today Pipitea Marae was a place full of celebration as Mayor Justin Lester led Wellington City Council in its first ever Council meeting at the marae, and in renewing formal partnerships with local iwi.
“Today we come together to recognise the importance of our Council relationship with local iwi, and to formally re-sign Memorandum of Understanding with Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated,” says Mayor Justin Lester.
“I believe Wellington City Council has a strong relationship with both iwi groups, and I want to thank them for their continued time and commitment.
“The Memoranda both provide the framework for strategic relationships between iwi groups and the Council, enabling our iwi partners to contribute to council decision making and to help us lead our tāngata whenua for the future.
“The words each group has used as the vision for their agreements speak to the heart and soul of the partnerships and what we want to achieve together.
“Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika says: Wehea Taitea Kia Tū, Ko Te Iho – Strip away the sapwood to expose the heart wood. Put aside the everyday and focus strategically on building a better future for both parties.
“Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated says: Tū Kotahi Tātou – Work together for the betterment of all.
“We all share the same aim – to build a better future for our people, and to do it strategically. We’re not just thinking about tomorrow, we’re talking about our future generations.”
The City Council's Māori Partnerships Portfolio Lead, Councillor Jill Day says we’re talking about doing things that matter to us all.
“For example, at the Council we want to draw on these partnerships to inform and support Māori economic development.
“These documents are special, but they are only documents – paper and print. The kupu – the words – and the intention are what we must focus on.
“These documents carry a promise that together we will care for this city and for the people of this city. We must now begin to co-design our success,” says Cr Day.
“It’s up to us to understand each other and our communities, and to work together for the long-term betterment of our people, he tāngata he tāngata he tāngata,” says the Mayor.