On course for better decision-making

Far North District Council has pledged to work closer with Māori when it comes to decision-making on Resource Management Act (RMA) issues.

The commitment was made after elected members, council staff, iwi, and hapū came together recently for a Making Good Decision course that focused on the skills needed to run fair and effective RMA hearings.

During the November event at council headquarters in Kaikohe, it was agreed that the council would develop a series of workshops on the RMA and Local Government Association (LGA) issues relevant to Māori and actively promote these across the Far North District.

The council acknowledged the unique perspective of Māori and recognised that tangata whenua is more than just an interest group or stakeholder. It agreed that RMA decision-makers must include Māori at the right time and at the right level of the council to ensure they can make informed decisions about the local authority’s processes and work.

The council also committed to run future workshops and allocate funding towards iwi-hapū environmental management plans.

Photo: Council, iwi and hapū came together recently for a Making Good Decisions course.