The Paradoxes of Māori-State inclusion: The case study of the Ohiwa Harbour Strategy

Abstract

In 2002, the local government in the Eastern Bay of Plenty entered into an engagement process with local iwi to develop a conservation plan for their local water resources. The four years of highly successful engagement with three iwi and one hapū culminated in a long-term plan, the Ohiwa Harbour Strategy (2008), to manage and conserve the Ohiwa harbour built on shared values for joint action. Using the concept of ‘procedural inclusion’ adapted from Young (2002), this paper evaluates the paradoxes and politics underlying the inclusion of Māori into the processes of inclusive state policymaking, especially when those processes have been specifically designed to be culturally sensitive. The analysis highlights the contradictions of Māori inclusion, particularly around issues of representation of iwi or who is legitimately included, and the discursive politics of partnerships in light of historical considerations.