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Engaging with Māori

• Māori and community outcomes
• Māori contribution to local decision-making
• Effective Engagement
• Further information and links

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• Māori and community outcomes

In many communities, Māori have specific aspirations and desires that are important for their well-being. Organisations working in the community can better understand these goals by engaging with Māori through community outcomes processes.

The Local Government Act 2002 states that local authorities must identify in the long-term council community plan how the local authority will work with Māori in their community to further community outcomes.

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• Māori contribution to local decision-making

Community outcomes processes encourage the involvement of Māori in the decisions being made in their communities.

The Local Government Act 2002 states:

In order to recognise and respect the Crown's responsibility to take appropriate account of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and to maintain and improve opportunities for Māori to contribute to local government decision-making processes, the Local Government Act 2002 provides principles and requirements for local authorities that are intended to facilitate participation by Māori in local authority decision-making processes Source: (Local Government Act s4).

Read more about the Treaty of Waitangi at www.nzhistory.net.

Local authorities are required to provide opportunities for Māori to contribute to decision-making processes. Local authorities also need to have processes in place for consulting with Māori (Local Government Act 2002 s14, s82).

Under Section 81 of the Act, local authorities promote Māori involvement in decision-making by:

• establishing and maintaining processes to provide opportunities for Māori to contribute to local decision-making
• considering ways in which the local authority can foster the development of Māori capacity to contribute to decision-making processes
• providing relevant information to Māori in the community.

Local authorities explain the steps they have taken to foster the development of Māori capacity to contribute to decision making, in the long-term council community plan (Local Government Act 2002 schedule 10).

In particular, the Act states that if any option being considered by local authorities:

	involves a significant decision in relation to land or a body of water, [local authorities must] take into account the relationship of Māori and their culture and traditions with their ancestral land, water, sites, waahi tapu, valued flora and fauna, and other taonga. (Local Government Act 2002 s77)

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• Effective engagement

Effective engagement with Māori groups requires an understanding of Māori perceptions of partnership.

	Māori perceptions of partnership are wholly different to those of non-Māori….Successful partnership with Māori involves giving meaningful expression to tikanga or Māori cultural practices and values. (Balancing Means and Ends. Local Partnerships and Governance Research Group 2005 p26-27)

See Good Practice Participate for practical guidance and advice for engaging with Māori.

When engaging with Māori, it is important to establish relationships at the right level, with the right people, on the appropriate issues (Council-Māori Engagement Factsheet. Local Government New Zealand 2007). “The Māori ‘rule of thumb' for engagement is kanohi ki te kanohi, rangatira ki te rangatira – face to face, chief to chief” (Source: Balancing Means and Ends. Local Partnerships and Governance Research Group 2005 p33).
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• Further information and links

Resources, links and examples for further guidance on engaging with Māori.

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