Kaupapa Maori

‘Tēnā koutou katoa
Nau mai ki te paetukutuku a Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Te Waiariki.’

Te Moana a Toi te Huatahi

Te Moana a Toi te Huatahi (the original name for the Bay of Plenty) has a very long and very proud Maori heritage.

Te Pare Honohono a Toi-te-Huatahi

The door lintel, located above the entry to Committee Meeting Room One, is called Te Pare Honohono a Toi te Huatahi, which means the lintel of linkage with Toi te Huatahi.

Places of special significance such as waahi tapu (sacred sites), urupa (burial grounds), places of traditional importance, trees or other vegetation with cultural associations, places where significant past events have occurred, and outstanding landscape features are evident in the Bay of Plenty region today.

Overall at least one quarter of the regional population identify themselves as Maori. Environment Bay of Plenty works with Maori in many ways. It provides some funding for special projects, supports environmental care groups, provides iwi liaison, manages recognition of principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and for kaitiakitanga of the region's natural and physical resources.

Maori Policy Section

Within Environment Bay of Plenty the Maori Policy section forms part of the Strategy Development Group.  This section consists of a Maori Policy Manager plus three Maori Policy Officers, based in Rotorua, Tauranga and Whakatane.

Some of the work that the Māori Policy section does includes:

• Assisting hapū and iwi to develop iwi resource management plans
• Providing advice to staff on
• Māori engagement
• Iwi dynamics
• Treaty settlements
• National and local Māori issues
• Supporting the Māori standing committee
• Maintaining a Māori Contact Directory
• Supporting hapū and iwi initiatives to help build capacity and capability

The Trinity

These decorative panels, Te Tukutuku, were created by the craftspersons to typify each area of our region. From top to bottom, for Tauranga area it is the flounder (patiki) by Pauline Borell of Pirirakau, for Rotorua area it is the eternal stairway of knowledge (poutama) by Tina Wirihana of Ngati Te Rangiunuora and for Whakatane area it is albatross tears (roimata toroa) by Mere Walker of Te Whakatohea (Opotiki). They were the leaders (manukura) of each weaving team.

Hapu/Iwi Resource Management Plans

A Hapu/Iwi Resource Management Plan is a policy document that expresses the important issues to hapu/iwi regarding the use of natural and physical resources within their areas. Environment Bay of Plenty supports the development of these plans by providing some modest funding to hapu and iwi wishing to develop them.

Maori Contact Database

The Regional Council maintains and updates a Maori contact database which records contact details of hapu, iwi and other Maori groups. Maori Policy staff are keen to receive information on any changes to iwi and hapu contact details so that we can use to verify or amend our records.

Maori Seats

In October 2004 Environment Bay of Plenty became the first regional council to establish Maori seats for the Kohi, Mauao and Okurei constituencies, on the same terms as the Maori seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives (Parliament).

Maori Committee

The Maori Committee was established in 2006 and its role is to consider governance issues relating to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and Council's legislative obligations to Maori.

Treaty of Waitangi Toolbox

Environment Bay of Plenty has created a Treaty of Waitangi Toolbox, which references how we view and provide for our responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi.

The Marae within the Environment Bay of Plenty region

Our marae are the very souls of our Whanau (family), our hapu (sub-tribes) and of our iwi (tribes). For Maori the Marae is a wahi tapu where ritual encounters are performed, important issues are discussed and debated (wānanga) and where our deceased lie before they enter the spiritual realm. The wharetipuna is adorned inside and out with representations of our tipuna (ancestors). A reminder to all of our whakapapa, (genealogy).

Environment Bay of Plenty has created a Marae Locations Map (285KB, pdf) showing where the region's marae are located.