Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Tamihere on Auckland statutory board 'under protest'

Updated at 8:11 am on 29 October 2010

One of the biggest critics of the Auckland super city's Maori statutory board has been appointed to the body.

Waipareira Trust chief executive John Tamihere joins Tony Kake from Ngapuhi and Ngati Maniapoto as a maatawaka representative, whose role is to give the views of Maori from iwi outside Tamaki Makaurau.

They were appointed by an electoral college of mana whenua iwi, who also chose the seven mana whenua representatives.

Mr Tamihere says while his preference was for elected seats on the council itself, as recommended by the Royal Commission on Auckland governance, he put his name up for appointment to ensure the needs of urban Maori would be considered.

"As soon as the mana whenua group sold out, we were obliged to either go along or contest," he said.

Mr Tamihere said the feeling in the National Urban Maori Authority grouping was to take part and do the best possible in the meantime, so he's on the board "under protest."

Mana Whenua representatives are: Glen Tupuhi and David Taipara from Hauraki, Anahera Morehu and Glen Wilcox from Ngati Whatua, James Brown and Wayne Knox from the Tainui waka and Patience te Ao from Ngati Wai.

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