It is the time of Matariki again. The Pleiades constellation is returning to the morning sky, and the seasons turn once more. It is common for cultures around the world to mark these seasonal shifts in some way and this is ours.

We have a number of Matariki events happening in the district, in particular as part of the Trust Horizon Winter Light Festival, which is always spectacular.

In the Christian parts of the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas is the main public event that marks the return of the light, in celebrating the birth of the Christ. Here in Aotearoa, Christmas is a summer festival, which inevitably gives it a slightly different flavour and meaning.

The reclamation of the celebration of Matariki, the Māori New Year, as a ceremony and a public holiday is important. It provides us with a key public event to mark this time, based on the natural planetary and celestial cycle. It upholds and affirms a key Māori tradition. It indigenises our calendar. It marks another step towards genuinely becoming Aotearoa. We are a land inhabited by many different peoples but grounded in an identity as a Pacific nation, with tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti seeking to live together with mutual respect.

Observing Matariki is a beautiful thing. To rise at dawn, cold, perhaps with a fire to warm the edges, to see that constellation with one’s own eyes, helps ground us in the real world. For those of us who spend hours a day at a computer or some kind of device this is precious.

To take time to think about the year that was and to remember those who passed is important. In doing so we can then consider the year ahead, our hopes and aspirations for ourselves and our whānau. And of course we celebrate the present moment, share kai and kōrero with the family and friends and perhaps strangers too, who we have gathered with.

Moments of genuine presence, grounded in physical reality, are where we can find peace.

Right now, as mayor, moments of peace are in short supply. I’ve written before about the onslaught of reform that Wellington is forcing on local government, including amalgamation, all of which is going to cost ratepayers. Perhaps the Government doesn’t understand just how much time and money councils are having to spend to respond to their agenda, because they have made it clear they won’t come to the party when it comes to paying for any of it.

The uncertainty and lack of clarity in the announcements doesn’t help, especially with the very rushed timeframes. I have been at a number of sessions with ministers and with ministry officials, online and in person, where mayors from around the country have been seeking clarity and what the Government is seeking to achieve. To find out what happens if we take this or that course. The reply is “wait and see”.

The only outcome that is clear is that they are getting rid of regional councils. What happens after that seems to be an afterthought. This is frustrating but I think we need to see that as an opportunity. It gives us a space to articulate something that can deliver the best results for our communities.

Let’s not be bound by how things have worked in the past but show some courage and creativity to advocate for something better than what we have now.

A key mission of mine has been to let people know what is going on and how you can have a say. The council website has been a key resource for information, with a portal to give feedback about the reforms. I have held public meetings in the Council Chamber, in Murupara, Edgecumbe, Tāneatua and Ōhope. I ran a Facebook live Q&A session, which was well attended and the video has been shared around quite a bit since. I have also taken the opportunity to raise it when speaking at different local events, such as when the Chamber of Commerce hosted economist Shamubeel Eaqub.

The overwhelming response has been that we are better off trying to shape the outcome by entering the Government’s Head Start process rather than just accept whatever Wellington decides through their Backstop legislation. People are averse to any amalgamation with Tauranga and Western Bay. The clear preference is for an Eastern Bay of Plenty subregional unitary authority, which means a single council doing the job of regional and district councils. We also need some structures in place across the whole Bay to deliver functions that are still best done region wide. There is some openness to the idea of joining in with Rotorua, but it’s a distant second.

I have also been talking to Iwi leaders, one on one and at our local Iwi Chairs Forum, to understand what their preferences are, what things we need to ensure are protected in any changes, and what the opportunities are. It’s fair to say that there are a range of views but some of the key themes include the need to preserve integrated catchment management and environmental protections, to maintain statutory co-governance bodies and arrangements that come from Treaty Settlements, to see the opportunities in linking areas with shared economic interests, and to be mindful of the whakapapa links.

Councillors have now instructed staff to work with other Eastern Bay of Plenty Councils to shape up what an Eastern Bay Subregional Unitary Authority might look like. A decision on whether to put in a Headstart Proposal will be made once that work is done, at a Council Meeting at the end of this month, prior to the cutoff date of August 9. Part of that proposal will speak to the timeline and how we will engage our communities as we develop a more detailed plan during stage two, if our plan gets the tick from cabinet.

We are in as good a place as we could be to handle these reforms. We have an excellent culture among councillors where we understand that disagreement is healthy, but we are all part of the same team. We have great staff who give robust independent advice and then support the decisions of councillors even when we go against their recommendations. We have strong relationships with other mayors, the regional council chair and councillors across the Eastern Bay and whole Bay of Plenty. We have good relationship with local and other MPs.

And we have a great district full of awesome people. Matariki blessings to you all.