Media Release – 2 September 2016
Independent Māori Statutory Board urges Council to Implement Te Reo Policy quickly.
The Independent Māori Statutory Board welcomes the adoption of the Māori Language Policy and Māori Language Implementation Plan 2016-2019, by the Auckland Council Regional Strategy and Policy Committee yesterday, and calls on the Council to expedite its
implementation.
Independent Māori Statutory Board Deputy Chair, Glenn Wilcox, says while the Board is pleased the Council has finally
adopted a Te Reo policy, the accompanying implementation plan is light on detail and will need fleshing out, which the
Board urges the Council to advance as soon as possible.
“The Board identified the need for a Māori Language Policy in its first Te Tiriti o Waitangi Audit in 2012. It has taken
Council four years to develop a Te Reo policy and bring it to Council for adoption. This is indicative of the speed with
which the 24 audit action group recommendations currently before the Council are taking to be addressed. To date only 5
have been signed off as complete.
“The recent establishment of Te Toa Takitini, a cross-council executive working group to respond to matters Māori, has
done much to improve the speed with which the recommendations of the 2012 and 2015 Treaty Audits are being addressed,
however, there is still much work to be done and Council needs to pick up the pace on delivering on its
responsibilities.
“The incoming Board will continue to work closely with Council to ensure that it meets its statutory obligations to
Māori in ways that are effective and timely,” Chair, David Taipari says. He says the adoption of the Māori Language
Policy yesterday affords Council a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that it takes its legislative obligations and
commitments to Māori detailed in the Auckland Plan, seriously.
“The key Auckland Plan outcome relevant to the revitalisation of the Māori language is A Māori identity that is Auckland’s point of difference in the world. The implementation of the Māori Language policy is critical to Council delivering on the Auckland Plan. The Board
expects to be working closely with the Council and mana whenua groups to see effective implementation of the Māori
Language Policy,” David Taipari says.
Ends.Karere Pāpāho – 2 Mahuru 2016
Ka ākina te Kaunihera e te ohu Independent Māori Statutory Board kia tere whakatinanatia ai te Kaupapa Here Reo Māori.
E manawareka ana te ohu Independent Māori Statutory Board i tā te Komiti Rautaki, Kaupapa Here ā-Rohe a Te Kaunihera o
Tāmaki Makaurau whakaae inanahi nei, kia whāia ai te Kaupapa Here Reo Māori me te Mahere Whakatinana i te Reo Māori 2016-2019, ka mutu, e tono ana ki te Kaunihera kia tere whakatinanahia ai.
Ko tā te Heamana Tuarua o te ohu Independent Māori Statutory Board, ko tā Glenn Wilcox, hāunga te manawareka o te Poari
i tā te Kaunihera whakaae rawa ake nei kia whāia ai he kaupapa here mō te Reo Māori, he iti noa ngā taipitopito
whakamārama i te mahere whakatinana e noho nei hei hoa haere mōna, ā, me whakawhānui ērā ka tika, otirā, e akiaki ana te
Poari i te Kaunihera kia tere kōkirihia ai.
I tautuhi ake te Poari i te hiahia nui ki tētahi Kaupapa Here Reo Māori i te tuatahi rawa o ana tātaritanga Tiriti o
Waitangi i te tau 2012. Kua pau te whā tau i te Kaunihera e waihanga ana i tētahi kaupapa here reo Māori, ā, kātahi nei
ka whārikihia ki te Kaunihera hei whakamana māna. He mea tohu tēnei i te roa o te wā e whakatutukihia ai ngā tūtohutanga
24 a te rōpū kōkiri tātaritanga, ērā e noho nei ki te aroaro o te Kaunihera i tēnei wā. Mohoa noa nei, e 5 noa iho o
ēnei kua whakatutukitia katoatia.
"Nā te whakatūnga o nā tata nei o te kāhui mahi ā-tumu e whai pānga nei ki ētahi tini toronga o te Kaunihera, hei aro ki
ngā take Māori, arā, o Te Toa Takitini, i tere ake ai te aronga ki ngā tūtohutanga o ngā Tātaritanga Tiriti o te tau
2012 me te tau 2015, heoi, he nui tonu ngā mahi me oti, ā, me tere ake tā te Kaunihera whakatutuki i ōna kawenga.
"Ka mahi ngātahi tonu te Poari hou ki te Kaunihera kia mātua tutuki ai ōna kawenga ā-ture ki te Māori, otirā kia whai
hua, kia wawe hoki te whakatutukihanga," ko tā te Heamana, ko tā David Taipari. Hei tāna, nā runga i te whakaaetanga
inanahi nei kia whāia ai te Kaupapa Here Reo Māori, he wā pai mārika tēnei kia whakaatu atu ai te Kaunihera i tōna aro
nui ki ana kawenga ā-ture me ana herenga ki te Māori, ērā e rārangi mai ana i te Mahere mō Tāmaki Makaurau.
"Ko te hua nui o te Mahere mō Tāmaki Makaurau e hāngai ana ki te whakarauoratanga o te reo Māori ko Tētahi tuakiri Māori hei kura ahurei mō Tāmaki Makaurau ki te ao. Me mātua whakatinana te kaupapa here Reo Māori e whakatutukitia ai e te Kaunihera te Mahere mō Tāmaki Makaurau. E aro
nei te Poari ki te mahi ngātahi ki te Kaunihera me ngā kāhui mana whenua kia whai take ai te whakatinanatanga o te
Kaupapa Here Reo Māori," ko tā David Taipari.
Ka mutu i konei.