Kāpiti Coast District Council has voted in favour of establishing a Māori ward. Photo / David Haxton
Kāpiti Coast District Council has voted in favour of establishing a Māori ward. Photo / David Haxton
A Māori ward will be established in Kāpiti before the 2025 local body elections, despite a lot of community feedback against it.
Kāpiti Coast District Council voted 9-2 in favour of the ward, with a key part of the decision based on a deeper dive into the survey that showed support from younger respondents as well as Māori on the electoral role.
A Māori ward is a representation structure that would allow those on the Māori electoral roll to directly elect a councillor.
Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow said councillors carefully considered the comments and thoughts of all of those who responded to the survey.
“While the overall result of the feedback from our communities was not in favour of a Māori ward, the breakdown of the results showed strong support from younger respondents.
“These rangatahi are the future of our district and we want to encourage them to have their say on civic and democratic matters, so they need to see that we are listening to them.
“The community engagement also highlighted that those on the Māori electoral roll, who are most directly affected by this decision, were more supportive of establishing a Māori ward compared to those not on the Māori roll.”
“We’ve committed to be a council that listens, and that means listening to mana whenua and our wider Māori community, and drilling down below the surface results.
Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow. Photo / Rosalie Willis
“We need to communicate clearly that when we seek feedback, it’s not just about yes-or-no answers but the content and quality of arguments that elected members respond to.”
Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti representative Kim Tahiwi previously told the council that many Māori hadn’t responded but that Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki, who represent mana whenua, were in support of any change that increases Māori representation either locally or nationally.
Community engagement, conducted between September 12 and October 13, generated 548 submissions of which 69 per cent were against and 31 per cent in favour of establishing a Māori ward.
“The age group 65+ recorded the highest participation, with 57 per cent of the total respondents in this bracket,” a council report says.
“However, they also registered the highest opposition to the proposal, with 73 per cent responding no/kāo.
“The 15-34 age group, while having the lowest overall participation (5 per cent of respondents), demonstrated the most support for the proposal, with 61 per cent saying yes/ae.
“Middle-aged participants, specifically those in the 45-54 age bracket, showed a balanced opinion with 39 per cent in favour (yes/ae) and 61 per cent opposed (no/kāo).
“The age groups of 35-44 and 55-64 had similar sentiment distributions, with affirmative responses ranging between 29 per cent to 32 per cent.”
The report says 67 of submitters (about 12 per cent) identified as of Māori descent.
“Respondents on the Māori electoral roll are more supportive of establishing a Māori ward, with 56 per cent in favour, compared to 44 per cent opposed. Conversely, those not on the Māori electoral roll are less supportive, with 67 per cent against and only 33 per cent in favour.”
Cr Martin Halliday, the council representative on Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti, which involves the district’s three iwi, moved the motion, stating the decision would only enhance the strong relationship council has with mana whenua.
“This is a step in an ongoing journey about relationships that is part of the fabric of who we are as New Zealanders in Aotearoa, and it will be a journey that is with us always.”
The decision to proceed with the establishment of a Māori ward triggers a representation review, which must take place next year if the Māori ward is to be in place for the 2025 election.
“The cost is estimated at between $250,000 and $300,000, which is factored into planning for the long term,” the report says.
The council would receive further advice on next steps in due course, Holborow said.
For: Mayor Janet Holborow, Deputy Mayor Lawrence Kirby, councillors Martin Halliday, Sophie Handford, Rob Kofoed, Liz Koh, Kathy Spiers, Shelly Warwick, Nigel Wilson.
Against: Councillors Glen Cooper and Jocelyn Prvanov.
