The council had received 140 submissions regarding the rescinding of the Māori wards ahead of the extraordinary meeting. Six submitters attended the meeting to speak to their submissions.
Submitter Shelley Burne-Field said: “I know some people feel a ward based on ethnicity is not something they can support, but our local iwi need a voice.
“We have an urban ward, we have rural wards with no argument. Why would we argue about honouring our local iwi with a Māori ward?”
Dr Roger Maaka also spoke to his submission, saying he was “unequivocally in favour of the idea of Māori wards”.
Dr Maaka said he spoke as a ratepayer and as one of the older members of the Māori community, as well as a retired professor of indigenous studies, with over 30 years working at universities, specialising in, teaching, researching and understanding Māori representation.
Dr Maaka said: “My position has hardened in the last year or so when I realised that our voice is under threat from central government at many times. We are at the whim of that majority, and at the whim of the majority of this council here.
“I know you work very hard to support Māori aspirations here in Tamatea Central Hawke’s Bay. But I also know that you could be replaced by a very different council and one that has no intention of understanding our position in society. So I can see that in the future we require voting members on the council to protect rights that have been guaranteed to us since 1840.
“A Māori person who chooses to become a councillor in a general ward, that’s their prerogative, and they represent that electorate. That’s their job, what they are elected for. They are not there to represent Māori.”
Joint submitters Anne and Steven Hunt spoke to support the rescinding of Māori wards, saying “we have an issue with the Māori wards”.
“We feel there is enough segregation in New Zealand at the moment ... and this is going to put them on the outer a little bit more. We agree they need to have somebody to stand up for them, but to have a full Māori ward doesn’t seem to be the way to go,” said Anne.
Stuart Jane also spoke in favour of rescinding the Māori wards. “As a business owner in Waipukurau, people are doing it tough. Having extra councillors can only put an extra cost on. That’s on top of everyone’s rates. We need to be saving money here ... the community is paying rates to keep you all here and if you upset the community they will just say ‘why can’t we just merge?’ If you don’t have community support you’ll all go.”
After hearing submissions, the council’s voting resulted in five votes to retain November’s decision for Māori wards and four to rescind the move.
In favour were Walker and councillors Kelly Annand, Pip Burne, Kate Taylor and Exham Wichman.
Against were councillors Tim Aitken, Jerry Greer, Gerard Minehan and Brent Muggeridge.
Democracy was on show around the council table, Walker said.
“The decision around Māori wards speaks to who we are, speaks to who our people are, and speaks to who Tamatea Central Hawke’s Bay is as a community.
“I am proud of our decision. It is clear we need mana whenua to support the system to make this a community that thrives.”
A binding referendum must be held at the 2025 local government elections, where the public will be able to decide whether they want to retain or rescind the Māori ward.
Walker called for unity and respect within Central Hawke’s Bay as discussions are held moving towards the 2025 elections.
“This meeting was about listening and learning the viewpoints of this community.
“This was not a court proceeding, we are not here to judge whether people are right or wrong. Everyone is right in this.
“Ultimately, we all want what is best for Central Hawke’s Bay.”
