Dear supporter of a democratic New Zealand

There is a push going on for 21 of Auckland’s regional parks to be moved into an entity co- governed by Maori iwi and local authority representatives. This has been enabled through an obscure insertion in the council’s Draft Regional Parks Management Plan.

Please go on to the Auckland Council Have your say link and oppose this:  https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/regional-parks-management-plan

I suggest you click on the “Have your say” tab. Submissions close on 4 March.

Information is provided in this NZ Herald article:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/alarm-over-plans-to-transfer-auckland-regional-parks-into-a-new-body/NTBOWT5KQRCJYAQCFMYTPRI3LA/?fbclid=IwAR1HzSnm8MM4tsIFG79-YDwX878CpW2P7Hrc8MODYQ1ohzqAisgvYGqOfuU

There are a number of reasons why I think this is a bad thing for council to do:

1.      There is a high risk that with governance passed away from the council that the parks will suffer. In the Herald article Pippa Coom cited models for co-governance such as Kaipara Harbour and the Whanganui and Waikato rivers. One model that failed and she ignored is the Lake Waikaremoana co-governance deal with Tuhoe and Doc which has resulted in the public being banned, maintenance failures and facilities abuse. 1

2.      The claim that co-governance is mandated by the Treaty of Waitangi is spurious. Dame Anne Salmon describes the relationship created by the treaty as “a network of relationships among Queen Victoria, the Governor, the rangatira, the hapū and ordinary people based on chiefly gift exchange, and a promise of absolute equality between settlers and maori”2. Not a partnership. As Anne Salmon said “democracy is too precious to be put aside”.

3.      There is a lot of public opposition to the concept of co-governance as a means of managing a country or territorial assets. You signed a successful petition to oppose co-governance of a 1km coastal marine management zone around Waiheke Island. The petition gained 1800 signatures, around half of whom were Waiheke residents3. The people of Auckland strongly support democracy based on one person one vote as the best means for management of our affairs.

To conclude, the parks in question have been established over generations through the efforts of previous mayors and councillors, council staff, the rate paying public and the donations of land from benefactors.  Make a stand for future generations.

1.      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300456239/lake-waikaremoana-and-its-great-walk-have-been-closed-for-months-as-thoe-say-the-relationship-with-the-crown-has-failed?fbclid=IwAR1KU7hjJZEGkLOLvDK5IWkG1IMVOmnKsFcFKpqueLyDsTgOVb1V4A2P7lc

2.      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/anne-salmond-three-waters-and-te-tiriti

3.      https://www.change.org/p/waiheke-collective-protect-access-to-waiheke-s-coast-safeguard-democracy-in-nz