Te Tui Shortland Voted As Chair For Northland Regional Council

The Northland Regional Councils elected councillors were sworn in this week in Whangārei.

Te Tui Shortland (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Wai) was elected as the chair, by fellow councillors on Tuesday.

Tui Shortland spoke to Te Hiku Media last week at a pohiri held for her and elected councilor Peter-Lucas Jones (Te Aupōuri, Ngāi Takoto) at Te Puna o te Mātauranga Marae in Raumanga.

Both councillors were elected in the Te Raki Māori constituency for the first time in history of Māori wards in Te Taitokerau.

Shortland says, "I ran on water. Water was one of my drivers for running (for Northland Regional Council), I wrote the stage one report for Te Mana o Te Wai mo Te Taitokerau, I proposed an emancipated water system where traditional knowledge is at the forefront and I was concerned about whether or not that would fully go through the freshwater plan change, which is coming up within this term we are sitting, and that's what motivated me to run for council because I know it is the councillors who ultimately will decide what the policies say".

Jones says, "As an institution, the council, as a system of power has historically marginalised Māori and played a role in the alientation of whānau from their lands. One of the things I want to do is ensure our whanau and hapu and iwi voice, has a place - now and in the future, at the council table...It's an absolute honour to be voted in to this position and it's absolutely huge mahi".