​IMSB echoes questions on Auckland Climate Plan from nine months ago

Council staff came under scrutiny in the latest progress report of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan for failing to deliver on te ao Māori priority.

The report outlines a number of priorities within the plan including measurements for accountability.
Te Puāwaitanga ō te Tātai is a priority within the plan that looks to weave te ao Māori principals throughout the other priorities.

At the Environment and Climate Change Committee on September 8, Independent Māori Statutory Board member Karen Wilson said Te Puāwaitanga ō te Tātai was a priority that was not being prioritised.

“I think nine months ago I asked the same questions that I want to ask today,” Wilson said.

“Te Puāwaitanga ō te Tātai; it has not got any measurement beside it. That is a bit of a worry so I am wondering why with all the great progress that has been done throughout the other priorities… there is none around this priority?”

Chief sustanability officer Matthew Blaikie said he acknowledged they needed to “be better at this”.

“I acknowledge that you asked me in December last year how we were going to do this and this needed to be in place for accountability. At that point I wanted to come back today with that fully shaped up… we are not there yet but I feel we have made progress in our understanding,” Blaikie said.

He said there was uncertainty around how to effectively measure the priority and there was hesitancy amongst staff to measure progress without feeling they had the knowledge or credentials to do so.

“Mana whenua are integral to the development and delivery of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri and I recognise that was certainly the case in the development but that partnership has not translated into delivery in the way that it could have.”

Karen Wilson later commented that it was disappointing there was an inability to see any progress.
“It would be really good to see some concrete effort being made,” Wilson said.

“Mana whenua invested heavily in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri. They would probaby be looking for the results of that investment.”

“Visibility, accountability, the true meaning of partnership, all of those things hopefully will be encompassed moving forward in a progress report.”
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The next progress report on the climate plan will be in September next year.