Ethnic Advisory Panel recognises significance of ethnic residents in Auckland
The new Auckland Council will now have direct ethnic participation with the Council being directed to establish an Ethnic Advisory Panel.
Since the decision was made to create Auckland into a single Council that will be able to think, plan and act regionally, I have been strongly lobbying for ethnic New Zealanders - including those from our ethnic communities - to be able to participate in the new governance structure.
As Minister for Ethnic Affairs, I have worked hard to ensure that ethnic New Zealanders are able to participate in decisions that affect the economic, cultural and social well-being in New Zealand's largest city.
Our ethnic communities make up 20 percent of Auckland's population and the Ethnic Advisory Panel will enable ethnic Aucklanders to actively work towards ensuring Auckland is culturally and economically enriched by their contribution.
The decision to introduce a legislative mandate to set up an Ethnic Advisory Panel alongside a Pacific Advisory Panel was recommended in the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance report.
Since then three options were mooted for the Advisory Panels.
The first option was to continue with the status quo without explicit legislation, but while Waitakere City Council has established an Ethnic Advisory Board with mixed results, no other council in the Auckland region has established one. Hence this option puts the certainty and effectiveness in doubt.
Option two was to include a provision in the legislation that would see the Auckland Council providing opportunities for Pacific and Ethnic communities to enable them to contribute to the decision-making process.
While this was an improvement on the first option, it still wouldn't ensure that our ethnic communities will fully participate and that is why we have decided on option three - legislating for the mandatory establishment of an Ethnic Advisory Panel and a Pacific Advisory Panel.
Members of our ethnic communities are already making strong contributions to Auckland's economy and are contributing through trans-national trade connections, entrepreneurialism and suburban development and the Ethnic Advisory Panel will enable our communities to also make strong contributions to the governance of Auckland.
The establishment of the Ethnic Advisory Panel will ensure that Auckland as a region is able to harness and develop the rich potential within the many ethnic communities that are proud to call Auckland home.
This legislative mandate will send a powerful signal to our ethnic communities that their input into Auckland Council - our largest city council - is important. In return, ethnic communities will be likely to participate, knowing that it is not a token gesture.
It also sends a powerful message to the new Auckland Council by the government that the direct input of ethnic communities is essential and that the representation of our ethnic communities will be taken seriously.
The proposal for the panel will be considered by the Auckland Governance Select Committee and I encourage our ethnic communities to seize the opportunity and to make submissions to this Select Committee.
The Office of Ethnic Affairs has been conducting workshops on the Select Committee process over the past year and it is time for you - our ethnic communities - to practice the skills and have your say in the size and shape of the Ethnic Advisory Panel.
