Meng Foon labels councillor's comments about Māori 'disparaging'

Thursday, 8 August 2019

The Elms Historical Building had caused a divide in Tauranga (This video was first published in August, 2019).

The incoming race relations commissioner has labelled the comments by a councillor that Māori can't be trusted as 'disparaging'.

Meng Foon said he was disappointed in comments by Western Bay of Plenty District councillor and mayoral candidate Margaret Murray-Benge about whether Tauranga City Council should gift a section of land to the Otamataha Trust.

Council agreed in principle to gift the Mission Street site, formerly Māori land, to the Otamataha Trust which would, in turn, offer The Elms heritage site a peppercorn rent of $1 a year for at least 100 years to keep using it.

The incoming Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon.

Murray-Benge said that agreement would mean Maori could 'demand every piece of land' in her city.

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'Whatever they say today, you cannot guarantee that it's what's going to be tomorrow,' Benge said.

Incoming race relations commissioner, and Gisborne Mayor, Meng Foon said the councillor's comments were 'disparaging' and Māori should be trusted.

'It's disappointing to continue to hear disparaging comments of those reported in Tauranga,' he said.

'In all my dealings with Maori landowners in the Tairawhiti, Mitimiti and Te Roroa, I would say Māori landowners are very generous with their land for Gisborne District and the New Zealand Chinese Association use.

In Gisborne we are using Māori land for Transfer Station, Kupututea Trust has generously allowed Council to use their land for an 8km cycleway, freedom camping with consent from Māori landowners, at Tikitiki we use Maori land for a playground.'

'Our relationships are of mutual trust.'

Foon said Māori used to have mana over 100 per cent of Aotearoa and now only about three per cent.

The Tauranga land was set aside in the 1830s by Māori for missionaries to use for the betterment of their people but it was later sold by the church.

Council bought the property in 2006 and had moved to return it to the Otamataha Trust.

Murray-Benge says the land should be transferred to the Elms Foundation Trust and not doing so would be 'fraud' from Council as it was also planned for it form part of the future development of the Elms site.

'It's fraud to ignore the fact ratepayers were prepared to invest in it,' she said.

The Elms Trust has use of the section rent free until 2021 and the council is under no obligation to transfer the property to the foundation its lease agreement says.

Council will make a decision on who they transfer the section to on August 27.