Interim Māori Wardens Governance Board

The legal framework for Māori Wardens is established by the Māori Community Development Act 1962 (‘the Act’). The Māori Affairs Select Committee (MASC) in discussion with the Minister of Māori Affairs has decided to carry out a review of the Act.

In the interim the Māori Wardens Project will continue to operate out of Te Puni Kōkiri. The MASC is due to report back to the House in July 2010 and so any Government response could be a further 6-12 months from this date. Therefore it is likely that the present arrangement will continue for at least a further two years.

Accordingly it has been agreed that an Interim Māori Wardens Governance Board (“the Board”) be established, chaired by the Chief Executive Te Puni Kōkiri, to oversee the Māori Wardens Project while it remains in Te Puni Kōkiri.

While the Act remains intact, the overall responsibility for Māori Wardens remains with the New Zealand Māori Council. Following negotiation, it is hoped that the Board will carry out some of the functions delegated by the New Zealand Māori Council. The role of the Interim Māori Wardens Governance Board is to:

• Provide oversight and leadership for Māori Warden groups and individuals
• Establish priorities and objectives for the Maori Wardens Project
• Monitor progress against those priorities and objectives
• Support coordination with stakeholder bodies
• Approve resource allocation frameworks used by the Project
• Identify issues that require discussion with Ministers or other stakeholder bodies at a senior level
• Provide advice on contextual issues that informs the implementation of the Project.
• Advise on issues affecting the sustainability of Project activities.

Responsibilities

The Interim Māori Wardens Governance Board is responsible for:

• Ensuring strategic issues and changes are identified, effectively managed (resolved or mitigated), escalated and/or reported as required
• Providing guidance on priorities for the Māori Wardens Project
• Ensuring finance requirements are correctly identified and appropriate
• Monitoring the overall achievement of the Māori Wardens project teams’ targets

Membership

The Board is chaired by Leith Comer, Chief Executive, Te Puni Kōkiri and also comprises of:

Last modified: 4/03/2011