Wellington councilors accused of excluding iwi votes on airport share sale

“You have excluded Mana Whenua from speaking at the committee table, which on its face constitutes a breach of the Tākai Here Agreement.

“Please understand that this is no longer about any single political issue of the day. It is about the intention of the NoM signatories to consciously and deliberately exclude the voices of manyWhenua.”

Failure to withdraw the NoM could “irreparably harm” the relationship, the email said.

Tākai Here is a partnership agreement between mana Whenua and Wellington City Council, signed in 2022.

Two manaWhenua representatives in this partnership serve on council committees with voting rights, but not at full council meetings.

Both representatives voted in favor of selling the council’s interest in the airport while the long-term plan or 10-year budget is being drawn up, strengthening Mayor Tory Whanau’s majority.

Some councilors then changed their mind about the sale, which meant that if the same vote was held again, it would not take place.

There was no alternative to voting on the sale again as part of the long-term plan, so some councilors voted against the entire plan in protest.

The plan was adopted with nine votes in favor and seven against.

Council officers were due to report to the council on the sale process in December, at which point councilors could decide to refrain from making further progress.

However, Labor councilor Nureddin Abdurahman tabled a NoM, forcing a vote on the issue again next week.

He asked the full council to reconsider the sale, rather than the Long Term Plan, Finance and Performance Committee, where Mana Whenua representatives have a say.

NoM wanted councilors to amend the Long Term Plan to retain the shares and suspend any involvement at committee level.

“At a time when Wellingtonians are facing a 20% rate increase, it is simply irresponsible to continue the sale process until December, potentially spending millions on consultants and legal advice in an unsupported sale,” Abdurahman said.

It is understood that the amount saved by suspending work on the sales process will be comparable to the cost of introducing an amendment to the Long-Term Plan, including audit costs.

Abdurahman said only the full council had the legal authority to proceed with the sale.

The council typically delegates the role of developing a long-term plan to a committee, which is then forwarded to the council for adoption.

Abdurahman said he has received advice from officials that another amendment to water services may be required due to new government legislation.

He was told this would best be handled in conjunction with other changes to the long-term plan, such as selling shares in the airport.

Abdurahman acknowledged that NoM’s decision to suspend engagement at committee level would exclude manaWhenua partners from water discussions, which he described as a “serious and unintended consequence.”

Abdurahman said he is working to change the wording of the NoM to “agree to proactively engage with manaWhenua” during the amendment process.

“This reformulation underscores our commitment to collaboration and ensures that all voices are heard in this critical process,” he said.

Fellow Labor councilor Ben McNulty, another staunch opponent of the sale, said he had been in negotiations with the mayor’s office in an attempt to get rid of the issue for good.

“The collateral damage caused by the sale of the airport was enormous for all parties involved.”

McNulty said it’s time for leadership from the mayor.

Labor councilor Teri O’Neill said she understood her responsibility was primarily to maintain the partnership with tangata Whenua. Its values ​​should remain unchanged also in opposition to the sale of public assets, she added.

“I will not seek to disenfranchise Māori from any decision-making process. My absolute priority is to resolve this issue and continue to honor and sustain the council’s partnership with Tākai Here partners.”

Labor councilor Rebecca Matthews said she would not support NoM.

“My priority is to repair the damage to our relationship with Whenua mana.”

Whanau said council should support Whenua mana and allow them a consistent and meaningful seat at the decision-making table.

“I have done and will continue to do everything in my power to preserve our relationship with Mana Whenua, Takai Here and iwi partners.

“After repeated and ignored attempts to cooperate on this matter, it is deeply disheartening that in order to achieve a particular political outcome, a few councilors have destroyed our relationship with manaWhenua.”

In her opinion, councilors should consider the damage caused.

“Acting in true partnership means continuing to do so even in difficult situations, not just when it is easy.”

The NoM was signed by councilors Nīkau Wi Neera, Teri O’Neill, Tony Randle, Ben McNulty, Ray Chung, Iona Pannett, Nicola Young, Diane Calvert and Abdurahman.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter with a particular interest in local government, transport and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.