NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Council's divisive survey slammed

Matthew Theunissen
By Matthew Theunissen
Herald on Sunday·
3 May, 2014 05:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

David and Christine Edmunds are upset by the contents of a recent Auckland Council questionnaire. Photo / Michael Craig

David and Christine Edmunds are upset by the contents of a recent Auckland Council questionnaire. Photo / Michael Craig

Aucklanders shocked by questionnaire on attitudes to Asians

A "racist" Auckland Council survey that asked residents to rate their feelings towards Asians has been scrapped after widespread condemnation.

The survey was this week sent to 20,000 residents in two of Auckland's most ethnically diverse suburbs, Balmoral and Northcote, and claimed to be intended to improve shopping precincts in those areas.

Locals were asked how they felt — from "very cold" to "very warm" — towards ethnic groups including Pakeha, Chinese, Indian, Korean, and "other Asian" people.

The survey also asked people to say if their interactions with the ethnic groups were favourable or unfavourable; whether immigrants contributed to the economy; and if it was a good idea to have Asian businesses grouped together.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The ethics-approved survey has been slammed as racist — and the council has apologised and pulled the survey. Ratepayers will foot the $18,000 bill for the botch-up.

North Shore man David Edmunds was shocked by some questions in the posted survey.

"We're really being asked to say of our neighbours that we feel very cold towards them or very warm.

"When we talk to people normally, as individuals, there's some we like and some we don't like but we don't put an ethnic slant on it."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Edmunds also felt the "other Asian" category was a racist way to lump diverse cultures together.

Auckland mayor Len Brown expressed regret for the wording and said the council had done the right thing by withdrawing it.

New Zealand Chinese Association national president Virginia Chong believed it to be discriminatory. "We're all equal, it's a diverse community and we should all be treated the same," she said. "To put the racial slant on it is not a good idea."

Former Race Relations Conciliator and current Labour MP Rajen Prasad called the survey "very odd".

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

Brown probe: Mystery phone calls

05 May 05:00 PM
New Zealand

Brown: We've got it right on booze

13 May 05:00 PM

"It sounds a little careless and when sensitive areas are to be traversed then both the questions and the method of eliciting the answers ought to be considered."

Former Auckland Council ethnic peoples advisory panel member Bevan Chuang believed the survey would invite racist comments.

"I think it would be better to ask questions about changes in the business landscape where there's more ethnic businesses now ... rather than 'what do you think of that Chinese guy next door?"'

North Shore councillor George Wood was "gobsmacked" to learn of the survey. "The council's got no right to be delving into what people think about different ethnic groups.

"I hope that there's going to be some recourse to ensure that it doesn't happen again in the future," he said.

Dominion Rd Business Association manager Gary Holmes said the survey had the potential to damage the very good race relations in the area.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I'm very surprised that something like that has made it into the public realm and I'm pleased that it's being withdrawn."

Auckland Council chief planning officer Harvey Brookes said the survey was withdrawn because of concerns that some questions, while not intended to be, could be perceived as encouraging racism. The council regretted any offence caused, he said.

The council would write to recipients asking them not to complete the survey and would be reviewing its research ethics approval process.

The survey cost about $11,000 to implement and withdrawing it would cost a further $5,000-$7,000.

Pacific peoples number some 7.4% of the population. Photo / HOS
Pacific peoples number some 7.4% of the population. Photo / HOS

NZ's major ethnic groups:

European:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

2,969,391 people (74%)

Maori:

598,605 (14.9%)

Pacific peoples:

295,944 (7.4%)

Asian:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

471,711 (11.8%)

Middle Eastern, Latin American, African:

46,953 (1.2%)

Northcote electorate ethnic groups:

European:

36,882 people (61.9%)

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Maori:

5,370 (9%)

Pacific peoples:

3,492 (5.9%)

Asian:

12,654 (21.2%)

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Middle Eastern/Latin American/African:

1,188 (2%)

Mt Roskill electorate (includes Balmoral) ethnic groups:

European:

22,521 residents (38.9 per cent)

Maori:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

3,345 (5.8 per cent)

Pacific:

8,445 (14.6 per cent)

Asian:

23,376 (40.3 per cent)

Middle Eastern/Latin American/African:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

1,599 (2.8 per cent)

(Some people identify with more than one group.)

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Property

Watch: 'My raging backyard river' - North Shore homeowner fears stormwater torrent

11 Jul 06:00 AM
New Zealand

Watch: Shore homeowner fears raging backyard river, council says it can’t pipe stormwater

New Zealand

Flood fears for Auckland

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Watch: 'My raging backyard river' - North Shore homeowner fears stormwater torrent

Watch: 'My raging backyard river' - North Shore homeowner fears stormwater torrent

11 Jul 06:00 AM

'Land eroding, health and safety of young kids has been at risk for the last three years'.

Watch: Shore homeowner fears raging backyard river, council says it can’t pipe stormwater

Watch: Shore homeowner fears raging backyard river, council says it can’t pipe stormwater

Flood fears for Auckland

Flood fears for Auckland

'Evacuate to higher ground': Emergency alert in Tasman, Vector on standby in Akl
live

'Evacuate to higher ground': Emergency alert in Tasman, Vector on standby in Akl

11 Jul 05:50 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP