Environment Bay of Plenty mourns councillor’s death
23 November 2009
| Tāiri ana te kohu ki runga o Pūtauaki, Kōpiropiro ngā wai o Te Rangitaiki, Kua hinga te māhuri tōtara o te wao nui, Te ika haehae kupenga o Ngāti Awa, o Te Arawa, E te waha kākā nui o te mātauranga Haere atu rā, haere atu rā. Mist has descended upon Mount Pūtauaki Rapid is the flow of the Rangitaiki The young tōtara of the forest has fallen The net-destroyer of Ngāti Awa and Te Arawa, The orator of knowledge and education Depart to your ancestors |
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| Environment Bay of Plenty Chairman, Councillors and staff are deeply saddened by the death of Councillor Hawea Vercoe. Councillor Vercoe died suddenly on Sunday morning. Councillor Vercoe was elected as Environment Bay of Plenty’s Okurei Constituency Councillor in 2007 and has done a very good job representing his community and the broader region. Councillor Vercoe was a member of Environment Bay of Plenty’s Maori, Finance and Governance, Regulation Monitoring and Operations and Special Regional Projects Committees. He was also a trustee of the Te Arawa Lakes Trust, and a member of Rotorua District Council’s Te Arawa Standing Committee. Chairman John Cronin said Councillor Vercoe had made a significant impression on the council and the region. “I believe he had a promising future representing the community. His presence brought an awareness and understanding for the Maori culture to the council,” Chairman Cronin said. “He was passionate about seeing more Maori involved in the decision-making process and also seeing more Maori at the decision-making table, and was eager to see council support a Making Good Decisions Programme for the region’s iwi.” Environment Bay of Plenty Chief Executive Bill Bayfield said Councillor Vercoe was especially passionate about the Maori language, and had successfully campaigned to have bilingual branding on Rotorua’s buses. “As well as his successful work to have Kura recognised on school buses, he was instrumental in Council’s decision to include Eke-Taone on Rotorua’s City Ride buses,” Mr Bayfield said. Mr Cronin said his and the Council’s sympathies and condolences had been sent to Mr Vercoe’s family, and also to staff and students at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Rotoiti, where he was principal. The council has a close association with the Vercoe family as Hawea’s father Waaka had worked at Environment Bay of Plenty as the Manager of Māori Policy for many years. For further media information please contact Bronwyn Campbell on 021 287 9380 or Prue Sisam 021 929 349. |
| Contact us: | T: 0800 ENV BOP (368 267) | F: 0800 ENV FAX (368 329) | info@envbop.govt.nz | www.envbop.govt.nz |
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