Partnering for better policy
What started as conflicting district plan submissions from two kaupapa Māori organisations has resulted in a partnership that amplifies the important work they are both doing.
Every year the Ratonga Whakamaru Rawa | Asset Management Team evaluate and comment on up to 20 proposed policies, plans, regulations and laws.
“A lot of well-intentioned policy and legislation fails to recognise the unique attributes of Māori freehold land,” says Kaihautū Whakamaru Rawa | Asset Manager Vanesa Griffiths. “Sometimes the way a policy is worded, or because of what’s included or not included – it can have unintended consequences for owners of Māori freehold land. We try to change that,” says Vanesa.
Other kaupapa Māori organisations seek to influence at the policy design stage in the same way – and while we all have the shared goal of wanting Māori to thrive, each organisation has unique aspirations and constraints.
So when Te Tumu Paeroa and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (Te Rūnanga) made seemingly contradictory submissions on the Proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan and Timaru District Plan at the end of 2022, there was a conversation to be had.
“It was a robust but warmly received conversation,” says Vanesa. “We were actually saying the same things but saw them being achieved in different ways.”
Initially the kōrero was about reconciling differences on the Proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan, but Te Rūnanga Senior Environmental Advisor Planner Rachael Pull soon saw it as a chance to set the foundations for future work together.
“It was clear we weren’t at cross-purposes, we wanted the same thing – we just needed to wordsmith it in ways that didn’t hinder each other,” says Rachael.
Following a hui between Māori Trustee Dr Charlotte Severne and Te Rūnanga Chief Executive Officer Ben
Bateman, kaimahi from their respective organisations drafted a direction that has shaped the conservations with Papatipu Rūnanga and councils on the future use of Māori land.
Rachael says the agreement is fairly simple: “We both agree that Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga have rangatiratanga within their takiwā (territory), and that Māori land needs to be enabled throughout the takiwā – and that they’re two separate issues that don’t overlap.”
Both national and local policy determining how Māori land is used can often miss important nuances experienced by owners of Māori freehold land – the partnership is about ensuring that in seeking to correct this, they are not stepping on one another’s toes. But it’s also a way to build each other up.
“We presented evidence together at the Timaru District Plan hearing on Māori land early in 2025, and I think that gave our concerns and recommendations more weight with the decisionmakers,” says Rachael.
The teams have since worked together on areas of concern in upcoming policy, ensuring the right people are being asked to provide comment and making use of their respective skills and knowledge.
“Our goal is to protect and enhance whenua Māori for future generations,” says Vanesa. “This partnership, leaning into those differences and coming back to what we agree on, has demonstrated the value of working together to do that.”
Pictured above: Section 186 Block V Longwood S D (Ouetoto MR) in Murihiku, Photo: James Beck