An Auckland councillor says the council is open to putting more money into Maori development but it must treat all ratepayers equally.

The chairman of the Independent Maori Statutory Board, David Taipari, earlier said the council had budgeted for less than a third of the $295 million needed to improve the position of Maori.

Councillor Penny Webster says the council would not rule out increasing the Maori fund but it needed to ensure money was being distributed equally.

"At the end of the day the government set up the Independent Maori Statutory Board and the Auckland ratepayers have got to pay for it so we've just got to be fair and equal," she told Radio New Zealand.

Mr Taipari says if the council is genuine about helping Maori then more funding is needed.

"If I can use the terminology `talk is cheap' and `put your money where your mouth is' because you can identify all the issues in the world, but if you don't do anything to fix them then what's the point?"

The board will oppose the council's budget and will take action if changes are not made.

The board's role is to assist and offer advice to the council when making decisions regarding Maori in Auckland.