Recent Submissions

Submission on the Treaty of Waitangi Bill

Committee Secretariat
Justice Committee
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
 
cc. Tangi Utikere, MP for Palmerston North
 
3rd December 2024

 

The undersigned Palmerston North Papaioea and Manawatū community organisations and workers strongly oppose the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill (the Bill). Through our journey into Te Tiriti awareness, Te Tiriti has become central to our work. While this journey has been challenging and confronting at times, it has strengthened our commitment to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding covenant of Aotearoa, New Zealand. We integrate Te Tiriti principles into all aspects of our work and are deeply concerned that the proposed principles fail to reflect the agreements made in Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840.

Key Concerns:

1. Erosion of Tino Rangatiratanga

The proposed principles grant the Crown power to make laws over everyone, contradicting the agreement made in 1840, where the Queen recognised Māori tino rangatiratanga over their lands, resources, and lives.

2. Misrepresentation of Equality

The Bill asserts that everyone is equal and entitled to equal rights without discrimination. However, this fails to acknowledge the systemic inequalities faced by Māori, who are disproportionately disadvantaged in areas such as health, education, and justice. For instance, the criminal justice system disproportionately incarcerates Māori, and this Bill’s introduction risks further marginalising tangata whenua. It is our preference that the government aspires for equity and justice rather than equality, which further perpetuates injustice.

3. Lack of Māori Consultation

Māori have not been adequately consulted in the development of the Bill. The absence of robust co-design processes perpetuates colonial decision-making structures and fails to honour the partnership promised in Te Tiriti.

Our Position:

We urge the government not to proceed with the Bill, as it undermines tino rangatiratanga, lacks meaningful Māori engagement, and breaches Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This Bill risks further eroding the integrity of Te Tiriti and damaging the partnership between Māori and the Crown.

Instead, we would welcome Parliament including Te Tiriti in statute in a manner that honours its intent. As one of our community members reflects:

“Honouring Te Tiriti is central to everything that is good about this country. I believe that our collective future and the web of life relies on our capacity to honour, engage with and learn alongside people indigenous to the land where we live and work, whatever our origins, traditions and cultures.” (Diane Koch, Community Worker, 2 December 2024).

Nā mātou - 

Dr Kat Nguyen                                           Kim Penny                                  Catherine Rikihana

Kaiwhakahaere Matua/Manager               Chairperson                                Board member
Te Pū Harakeke                                          Te Pū Harakeke                           Te Pū Harakeke

Signatories – Community organisations
  1. Te Pū Harakeke - Community Collective Manawatū Incorporated
  2. Manawatū Peoples Radio
  3. Abuse & Rape Crisis Support (ARCS) Manawatū
  4. MentorED
  5. Environment Network Manawatū
  6. Manawatū Tenants Union
  7. Manawatū Lesbian and Gay Rights Association
  8. Strive Rehabilitation Manawatū
  9. Parentline Manawatū
  10. Manawatū Multicultural Council Incorporated
  11. Te Hā o Hine-ahu-one Palmerston North Women's Health Collective
  12. Te Whare o Ngā Wāhine Palmerston North Women's Centre

The letter was also signed by the following community workers in the Manawatū

  1. Rennie Williamson, Communications Lead, Environment Network Manawatu.
  2. Kadam Birgit Saunders, resident teacher, Amitabha Kadampa Meditation Centre Palmerston North
  3. Helen Gilmour-Jones, Chair of Hokowhitu Village Centre
  4. Robyn Barnett
  5. Diane Koch
  6. Abi Symes, Kaiwhakahaere – Manager, The Stomach/Creative Sounds Society Inc.
  7. Yun Tang
  8. Terry Lloyd-West, Service Manager for Strive Rehabilitation Manawatū
  9. Michelle and Peter Grey
  10. Justin Ngai

PNCC's Draft Food Security & Resilience Policy - October 2024

Submission on PNCC's Draft Food Security and Resilience Policy
31st October 2024

  1. This submission is made on behalf of Te Pū Harakeke—Community Collective Manawatū Incorporated.

  2. Te Pū Harakeke was established in 1971 as the Palmerston North Community Services Council. We are a collective of 108 not-for-profits, individuals, businesses, and other agencies engaged in social and community service in Palmerston North and the Manawatū.

  3. Our vision is “a strong, vibrant and connected community sector in the Manawatū” and our mission is “to empower community groups to participate in and contribute to the community and it’s wellbeing.”

  4. We commend the Council for developing the Food Security and Resilience Policy, recognising the critical importance of food security for community well-being, particularly in the context of the current cost-of-living crisis and the increased demand for services due to the prolonged impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  5. We advocate for greater community funding to support initiatives aimed at creating a sustainable and inclusive food system that promotes food security, resilience, and health for local communities.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou,

Te Pū Harakeke—Community Collective Manawatū

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Te Ahu a Turanga / Manawatū Tararua Highway Submission - October 2024

Submission on the proposed toll on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū- Tararua Highway
4th October 2024

  1. This submission is made on behalf of Te Pū Harakeke—Community Collective Manawatū Incorporated.

  2. Te Pū Harakeke was established in 1971 as the Palmerston North Community Services Council. We are a collective of 108 not-for-profits, individuals, businesses, and other agencies engaged in social and community service in Palmerston North and the Manawatū.

  3. Our vision is “a strong, vibrant and connected community sector in the Manawatū” and our mission is “to empower community groups to participate in and contribute to the community and it’s wellbeing.”

  4. We unequivocally oppose the proposed road toll on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway.

  5. The proposal will significantly impact people in the Tararua District, particularly in Woodville, Dannevirke, and surrounding areas, who need to travel to Palmerston North for employment, education, medical, and other social services.

  6. It will also affect our member organisations that provide services across the region. For instance, staff from Abuse & Rape Crisis Support Manawatu, Whatunga Tūao Volunteer Central, and Manawatu Tenants Union frequently travel to and from Tararua to support their clients. Their clients, especially children and young people supported by Abuse & Rape Crisis Support Manawatu and Parentline, also need to travel from Tararua to Palmerston North, as not all services are available locally.

  7. The client groups supported by our member organisations often have low to moderate incomes and depend on affordable transportation options to access essential services in Palmerston North. Imposing a toll on the highway would impose an additional financial burden on these individuals, who are already struggling with rising costs of living, rent, and daily expenses.

  8. While we do not oppose tolls in principle, we are against tolling this route due to the negative consequences for already disadvantaged communities. Additionally, people who use alternative roads to avoid the toll will increase wear and tear on those roads, which local councils will need to repair, leading to higher local rates that will further disadvantage these communities.

  9. It is concerning that the toll option was not discussed during the consultation on this road. Furthermore, Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway is not a new road requiring cost recovery; it is a replacement for the damaged State Highway 1 through the Manawatu Gorge, a repair responsibility that falls to Waka Kotahi.

  10. We strongly urge NZTA to explore alternative funding mechanisms that do not place undue pressure on those least able to afford it.

Ngā mihi,

Dr Kat Nguyen - Executive Officer & Kaiwhakahaere Matua / Manager

Te Pū Harakeke—Community Collective Manawatū Incorporated

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open Letter - Māori Wards - April 2024

Hon. Simeon Brown
Minister of Local Government
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

cc: Tangi Utikere, MP for Palmerston North
Suze Redmayne, MP for Rangitīkei
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, MP for Te Tai Hauāuru
Mayor Grant Smith and Palmerston North City Councillors
Mayor Helen Worboys and Manawatū District Councillors
Chair Rachel Keedwell and Horizons Regional Councillors

30 April 2024

Tēnā koe Minister Brown,

Open letter in support of Māori wards and constituencies

The undersigned Palmerston North and Manawatū community organisations and community workers unequivocally support the retention of Māori Wards in Palmerston North City and Manawatū District, and Māori Constituencies in Horizons Regional Council.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the very foundation of Aotearoa New Zealand’s constitution, and honouring Te Tiriti means that it is imperative that Māori have secure and meaningful seats at the tables in which important decisions are made.

The government’s requirement that councils hold referendums on the Māori wards and constituencies negates the fact that local communities have already had our say when we elected the councils who established the wards in the first place. Furthermore, making Māori wards and constituencies subject to veto by referendum, but not including the same provisions for other types of wards such as rural wards, is undemocratic and creates different rules for different communities.

While we are supportive of constructive, forward-focused dialogue, we are concerned that these referendums can serve as a platform for misinformation and division in our communities.

We have seen over this triennium the value that Māori ward councillors bring to councils, strengthening the relationships between councils and iwi/hapū and contributing to good decision-making which benefits everyone in our communities.

At a time when there are so many pressures and challenges facing local authorities, the government is requiring councils to spend energy and resources rehashing issues which have been well-canvassed in our communities already.  

We therefore ask that the government does not proceed with the proposed changes to the Local Electoral Act, and retains the current provisions for the establishment of Māori wards and constituencies in local government.

Nā mātou,

Te Pū Harakeke—Community Collective Manawatū Incorporated

Social Issues Network Council of Social Services Manawatū (SINCOSS)

Tanenuiarangi Manawatu Incorporated

Awhina Whakatau Trust

Abuse & Rape Crisis Support (ARCS) Manawatū

ACROSS Te Kotahitanga o te Wairua

Best Care Whakapai Hauora Charitable Trust

Citizens Advice Bureau Palmerston North

MaLGRA (Manawatu Lesbian and Gay Rights Association)

Manawatū Multicultural Council

Manawatū People's Radio

Manawatu Tenants’ Union

MentorEd Charitable Trust

Niuvaka Trust

Parentline Manawatu Inc.

Strive Rehabilitation Manawatū

Te Hā o Hine-ahu-one Palmerston North Women's Health Collective Inc

Te Manawa Family Services

Te Tihi Whānau Ora Alliance Charitable Trust

Te Wakahuia Manawatu Trust

Tini Whetu Ki Te Rangi Kaumatua Group

Unions Manawatu

Whatunga Tuao Volunteer Central

Youth One Stop Shop Inc

and 50 local community workers

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