East Cape United Council
Date of birth
1979
Date of death
1989
Biography
In the course of the 1960 review, submissions were made regarding the development of regional government. Regional or united councils were provided for in the Local Government Act 1974 to tackle functions of a regional nature, such as regional planning, civil defence, forestry, parks and reserves. Regional councils were to be elected directly and empowered to levy a rate. United councils were to be made up of members appointed by the constituent territorial authorities and funded through levies on these same bodies. District councils were also provided for in the Local Government Act 1974, reflecting territories which contained both urban and rural components, either as a result of a Local Government Commission reorganisation scheme, or through the voluntary redesignation of a borough or county as a district.
The East Cape United Council took over the work of the East Coast Planning Council in 1979, and functioned until the local government amalgamation in 1989. The United Council comprised three members from Cook County Council, five from Gisborne City, two each from the county councils of Opotiki, Waiapu, and Waikohu, together with the Napier District Commissioner of Works, and the Gisborne Resident Engineer. As a statutory body, it had considerably less freedom, and perhaps inspired less local participation, than its predecessor.
The fact that it was funded by contributions from constituent local authorities also had the potential to cause conflict with these bodies. The activities of these regional planning bodies have not been included in this report. The same issues regarding the lack of representation of the Maori community can be seen to apply, drawn as they were from the constituent county councils. A flow diagram of the organisational structure of the East Coast Planning Council reveals for example, that Maori representation was restricted to the presence of a Maori farmers’ representative on the council’s agricultural technical committee. On the other hand, Maori councillors such as Charles Rau and Lou Tangaere were active on the planning council.
accessed 29/09/2021 from: Local Government on the East Coast., August 2009., Jane Luiten. A Report Commissioned by HistoryWorks for the Crown Forestry Rental Trust.
https://manu07.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/east-coast-local-government-luiten.pdf
The East Cape United Council took over the work of the East Coast Planning Council in 1979, and functioned until the local government amalgamation in 1989. The United Council comprised three members from Cook County Council, five from Gisborne City, two each from the county councils of Opotiki, Waiapu, and Waikohu, together with the Napier District Commissioner of Works, and the Gisborne Resident Engineer. As a statutory body, it had considerably less freedom, and perhaps inspired less local participation, than its predecessor.
The fact that it was funded by contributions from constituent local authorities also had the potential to cause conflict with these bodies. The activities of these regional planning bodies have not been included in this report. The same issues regarding the lack of representation of the Maori community can be seen to apply, drawn as they were from the constituent county councils. A flow diagram of the organisational structure of the East Coast Planning Council reveals for example, that Maori representation was restricted to the presence of a Maori farmers’ representative on the council’s agricultural technical committee. On the other hand, Maori councillors such as Charles Rau and Lou Tangaere were active on the planning council.
accessed 29/09/2021 from: Local Government on the East Coast., August 2009., Jane Luiten. A Report Commissioned by HistoryWorks for the Crown Forestry Rental Trust.
https://manu07.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/east-coast-local-government-luiten.pdf
