This month Buddle Findlay sponsored Te Tohu Waka Hourua – The Buddle Findlay Award for Māori-Council Partnerships at the 2023 LGFA Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards. Te Tohu Waka Hourua recognises programmes, projects, or initiatives that demonstrate outstanding results from working in partnership with Māori. Entries may come from any area of local government activity but must be able to demonstrate a commitment to partnership with Māori.
Tauranga City Council has won this year's Te Tohu Waka Hourua – The Buddle Findlay Award for Māori-Council Partnerships with its 'Joint Land Ownership – the Right Thing to Do' project. Te Manawataki o Te Papa – the Heartbeat of Te Papa – is a transformative redevelopment of Tauranga’s Civic Precinct, which will reinvigorate the city centre and make it the cultural, historic, economic, and social centrepiece of New Zealand’s fastest growing city. The land underlying the Civic Precinct has been the subject of disputed ownership since it was gifted to the Crown by the Church Missionary Society in the 1860s, directly contravening the understanding that manawhenua had when the land was first sold. Tauranga City Council, in collaboration with iwi and hapū, sought and implemented a joint ownership solution which has restored the mana of the whenua to its original owners. The judges said working together has resulted both in the resolution of a long-standing dispute outside of Te Tiriti processes and empowerment of a large transformative project with multiple wellbeing outcomes.
Greater Wellington Regional Council was also highly commended for its 'Climate Resilience Programme – Broader Outcomes' project.
Partner Paul Beverley attended the gala dinner on 8 June and presented this award to Tauranga City Council. Paul said ˮwe are delighted to partner with Taituarā in relation to this award that recognises the mahi and collaboration between Māori and councils across Aotearoa. There are impressive partnerships emerging and it is important to see that leadership recognised.ˮ
This is the third year that Buddle Findlay have sponsored this award category. For more information about this award click here.