Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is backing Puketapu Hapū after a serious breach of commercial confidence by New Plymouth District Council exposed sensitive negotiations in the media before the hapū had even been formally advised of the figures themselves.

“This is a betrayal of trust. Puketapu Hapū were told the negotiations were confidential. And then they woke up to read about their own deal in the Taranaki Daily News,” says Ngarewa-Packer.

At Te Huinga Taumatua on 18 March, NPDC Chief Executive Gareth Green explicitly told attendees that the Service Level Agreement negotiations were commercially sensitive and not for public discussion. Not one person at that hui not council staff, not iwi-appointed members, not councillors disclosed financial figures. Yet the next day, the Taranaki Daily News published that the SLA was believed to be worth close to $1 million.

The leak could only have come from inside council. The Mayor now needs to front up. “This is a governance failure. Your council has publicly associated Puketapu Hapū with a deal they have not agreed to, under terms they had not been formally told. That is not just a process failure. That is harm.”

The question was asked at a full Council meeting yesterday by Puketapu Hapū uri Peter Moeahu “are all Service Level Agreements privy to this much scrutiny, or just the Māori ones? The answer is no”

This is not an isolated incident. Puketapu Hapū have endured months of delays, last-minute cancellation of signing, inadequate communication and now this. It is a pattern. And it reflects a council that has not yet understood what a genuine Treaty partnership actually requires.

When council leaks against the very hapū they are supposed to be partnering with, they do not just damage Puketapu. They damage every relationship that makes this region work. That should concern every single ratepayer in New Plymouth.”

Te Pāti Māori supports Puketapu Hapū’s call for a full written explanation within five working days, including who authorised or facilitated the disclosure, what internal processes failed, and how NPDC proposes to remedy the reputational damage caused.

“Puketapu have been patient and entered these negotiations in good faith, and repeatedly found their position compromised through no fault of their own. The Mayor needs to stand up, take responsibility, and fix this.”

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