Understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and Te Reo Māori has lifted up a few notches within the Hauraki District Council, thanks to first-term councillor Rino Wilkinson of Ngāti Tamaterā.
The breakfast show host and programme manager at Ngā Iwi FM in Paeroa became the first Māori councillor in Hauraki after winning the Paeroa seat at the 2019 local body elections. Wilkinson says he's pushing for more understanding by those who have been on the council for many years.
"We've just gone through the past few weeks of getting the councillors to learn more about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, more so the Hauraki perspective and how it affected Hauraki, in general," Wilkinson says.
"Also, just helping te reo Māori grow within the council, making sure the pronunciation of our local names is done properly but also giving them the understanding of what they actually mean."