How will it work?
At its core, Te Tiriti is our agreement to act. No action should be taken without honouring it.
By envisaging the continuing exercise of tino rangatiratanga (Māori self-determination) while granting a place for kāwanatanga (Crown governance), Te Tiriti establishes two different, independent spheres of influence.
This is the political arrangement upon which the Porirua Climate Assembly is modelled. It will consist of three spheres: the Mana Whenua, Porirua Community and Relational groups.
The Mana Whenua Group will be the space where Ngāti Toa Rangatira will deliberate amongst themselves, for Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
The make-up and process of the Mana Whenua sphere will be determined by Ngāti Toa Rangatira. By the end of the deliberation process, the assembly will prepare two sets of recommendations.
The first set of recommendations will outline a set of actions and resources proposed in response to the Question(s).
The second set of recommendations will outline the set of actions and resources that will be undertaken by Ngāti Toa Rangatira themselves. As spelt out in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, these matters are under the full authority of Ngāti Toa Rangatira – as such, they will be shared for information but are not subject to change by any other agency.
Mana
Whenua
Group
Mana
Whenua
Group
Porirua
Community Group
Relational
Group
Community Mandate
Community-led question
Experts
Taking a closer look
The Porirua Community Group will be the space where the community will deliberate for the community.
This group will convene 50 residents of Porirua City to discuss the Assembly Question(s). Participants will be randomly selected, according to representative demographics such as income, gender, ethnicity, position, and other factors that may be determined by the co-design process, including issues of Te Tiriti.
The Community Group will prepare a set of recommended actions and resources in response to the Assembly Question(s).
Porirua
Community
Group
Relational
Group
The relational space embodies the true spirit of partnership, interdependence and conciliation envisioned by Te Tiriti.
Here, Mana Whenua and the Porirua Community will work together to mediate, develop, and integrate their independent recommendations. Deliberation will then oscillate between the relational space and respective Groups, as synthesised recommendations are drafted, revised, and finalised.
This final set of recommendations will form the unified mandate of the Porirua Climate Assembly. These findings will be shared with the previously agreed local, regional and national decisionmakers – who will have already committed to how they will deal with the mandate.
The Community Leaders' Forum
Community
Leaders'
Forum
Porirua
Climate Assembly
The wider Porirua Climate Assembly will sit in relation to the Talanoa - the Porirua Community Leaders' Forum.
This is a standing forum made up of all those who exercise some form of leadership in their community. These leaders represent a diverse range of community organisations from churches, to sports, to advocacy groups. The Talanoa enables them engage with each other through collective deliberation to reach a consensus on those issues that are most important to their constituents.
By fostering such whanaunatanga, collaboration and cohesion throughout Porirua, the Talanoa has cultivated the popular support and political will necessary for the Climate Assembly to be taken seriously.