Council speaks out on ‘divisive, harmful’ Treaty Principles Bill

Waipā District Council has joined the chorus of opposition to the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, calling it an unnecessary distraction, threatening both current and future relationships with Māori.

The Council lodged its formal opposition to the Bill in its entirety late last year; due to the time constraints of the submission process this was made under delegated authority of the Chief Executive.

At today’s first full Council meeting of 2025, staff presented the submission to the elected members, who gave it their resounding approval.

Waipā Mayor Susan O’Regan said Council treasured its long-standing relationships with Mana Whenua and Iwi across the district, and was committed to strengthening them.

“We have invested much time, energy and aroha into doing better at Waipā and learning from each other. This Bill and the whole select committee process is harmful to Mana Whenua, Iwi, to our wider community and to Council,” she said. “It endangers the social cohesion that we have been striving to build, it’s divisive, and it’s in direct conflict with what we want for Waipā – connected, inclusive, thriving and vibrant communities.”

In the submission, the Council noted that Waipā was shaped by significant historical conflict through the British invasion during the New Zealand Land Wars, and the displacement of Mana Whenua from their land had a catastrophic impact on their social, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing.

While the negotiated settlements of claims against the Crown’s breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi resulted in some redress, this cannot and does not fully compensate Mana Whenua and Iwi for what was lost, the submission states.

The settlements have marked a new era in relationships between the Crown and Māori, and Council believes these relationships are integral to its work as a local authority representative of the Crown.

“Therefore, within the extent of Council’s mandate, Waipā District Council is obligated to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This is an obligation Council takes seriously, Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpins the strong and enduring relationships the Council has developed with Mana Whenua and Iwi over decades.”

The Council also noted that the Bill, if enacted, would introduce legal and financial uncertainty to local government, including costly amendments to its existing plans, policies and procedures.

In a time of financial restraint, this would place an unsustainable burden on Council and ratepayers, diverting resources from areas of critical need, as well as lost productivity costs to Council, Mana Whenua and Iwi.

The Council requested to make an oral submission on the Bill, but noted that with more than 300,000 submissions received, it was unlikely to be granted a slot in front of the Justice Committee.