I’ve been looking closely at how decisions are made inside our council, and I’ve realised something that needs to be said:
This was never just about iwi. It’s not about race.
It’s about how power works behind the scenes.
If the same agreements and decision-making structures were handed to a private company or a development trust, we’d still have a serious problem:
– A non-elected group influencing council direction,
– Quiet relationships shaping decisions,
– And a public that’s kept in the dark while others get early access or quiet benefits.
And here’s the part that’s hard to talk about: some of the people most involved aren’t iwi. They’re Pākehā.
People with longstanding positions, business ties, or professional influence are all operating under the radar while everyone else is told to trust the process.
This isn’t about culture. It’s about a system that allows the same handful of people, regardless of background; to move freely between influence and silence.
When partnerships operate without sunlight, and planning processes are kept vague, the public loses its place at the table.
We need to stop making this a race issue and start asking the real question:
Who gets to shape what happens; and who never even sees it coming?
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