More than 80% of the councils at the meeting backed a push from Palmerston North City Council against new legislation that forces councils to hold a public poll at the next local election if they wish to keep or bring in a Māori ward.
The Palmerston North remit said Māori wards and constituencies should not be subject to compulsory polling. It gained an 83.5% majority in support during the vote.
In February 2021, the previous Government changed the law so that councils wanting to bring in Māori wards were not subject to the requirement for a binding poll on their decisions.
The current Government reversed that change under new rules introduced on August 1.
Earlier this month, Palmerston North City Council voted to keep its Māori ward for the next elections and to investigate the legal ramifications of not polling its people.
Whakatāne District councillor Nandor Tanczos asked his council to seek legal advice on refusing the Government’s new Māori ward polling requirement.
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said ahead of today’s AGM his council would be supporting the Palmerston North challenge to the new Māori ward polling rule.
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said ahead of today’s AGM that his council would be supporting the Palmerston North challenge. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Tepania would not be drawn before the meeting on what FNDC would do about the required polling when it voted on the future of its Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward for the next local elections.
FNDC is expected to formally vote to keep the ward at its September 5 decision meeting - just one day ahead of the Government deadline for 45 councils around New Zealand to decide similarly.
More than 600 local government leaders from 72 councils are attending the LGNZ annual conference this week.
Since the August 1 law change, nine councils have so far decided to keep their Māori wards for the 2025 local elections - Gisborne District Council, Manawatū District Council, Masterton District Council, New Plymouth District Council, Palmerston North City Council, Stratford District Council, Taranaki Regional Council, Waikato District Council and Whakatāne District Council.
Kaipara District Council has voted to can its Māori ward, forcing a compulsory mini representation review.
Upper Hutt City Council has decided to rescind its decision to have a Māori ward for the next local elections, instead continuing with its 2022 electoral arrangements for the October 2025 local elections.
In a separate LGNZ remit today, Northland Regional Council (NRC) pushed for stronger Māori wards protection in new rules. This would require a 75% majority vote for any Government Local Electoral Act legislation changes affecting these wards. It did not get across the line at the meeting.
There were 40.58% of voters in favour of this NRC remit, while 50.65% were against and 8.77% abstained.
NRC chairman Geoff Crawford said before the AGM his council had been the architect of the entrenchment legislation change remit because it fitted in with NRC’s April 2024 Tāiki ē: Te Tiriti strategic intent and implementation plan.
NRC chairman Geoff Crawford said his council had been the architect of the entrenchment legislation change remit. Photo / Susan Botting
Tāiki ē endorses the council’s partnership with Te Taitokerau Māori and council working party, Te Kahu o Taonui (Northland Iwi Chairs Forum), iwi and hapū to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through governance and operations.
Tepania said ahead of today’s meeting his council would be supporting this NRC entrenchment push.
He said bringing a grand majority voting rule requirement into the Local Electoral Act would avoid Māori wards’ presence being subject to Government political whim.
“Māori wards would then not be at the behest of whatever the current Government wants to see changed,” Tepania said.
The NRC entrenchment push was also backed by Whangārei District Council as part of LGNZ’s northern arm.
Democracy Northland leader, Whangārei’s John Bain, has formerly said polling must be part of any council decision to have a Māori ward.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown previously told Local Democracy Reporting that the Government’s changes were about restoring democracy.
“I am very pleased that restoring the right to local referendums on Māori wards is a commitment under both the Act and NZ First coalition agreements.”
Brown said it should be up to communities to determine whether to introduce Māori wards.
The 45 councils that must vote on the future of their Māori wards before September 6:
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, Far North District Council, Gisborne District Council, Hamilton City Council, Hastings District Council, Hauraki District Council, Horowhenua District Council, Hutt City Council, Kaipara District Council, Kapiti Coast District Council, Kawerau District Council, Manawatū District Council, Marlborough District Council, Masterton District Council, Matamata-Piako District Council, Napier City Council, Nelson City Council, New Plymouth District Council, Ōtorohanga District Council, Palmerston North City Council, Porirua City Council, Rangitīkei District Council, Rotorua Lakes Council. Ruapehu District Council, South Taranaki District Council, South Wairarapa District Council, Stratford District Council, Tararua District Council, Tasman District Council, Taupō District Council, Tauranga City Council, Thames-Coromandel District Council, Upper Hutt District Council, Waikato District Council, Waipā District Council, Wellington City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Whakatane District Council, Whanganui District Council, Whangarei District Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Horizons Regional Council, Northland Regional Council, Taranaki Regional Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
