Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

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 / Waikato News

Hauraki mayor takes swing at Government then reaffirms support for Māori wards

Al Williams
By Al Williams
Open Justice reporter·Waikato Herald·
1 Sep, 2024 11:27 PM2 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

Hauraki mayor Toby Adams, centre, at the council meeting on Wednesday.

Hauraki mayor Toby Adams, centre, at the council meeting on Wednesday.

Hauraki mayor Toby Adams has taken a swing at the Government after comments made during the Local Government New Zealand conference.

At a council meeting this week, Adams said central Government did not understand how local government worked.

His comments came just before the council unanimously voted to reaffirm its resolution to establish a Māori Ward.

Adams said mayors were given a “big bollocking” at the Wellington conference, and told to concentrate on “picking up rubbish and fixing potholes”.

“They [the Government] are quite happy to take out all the well-beings but [they] do all the stuff they want.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“We are constantly being told by central Government to keep rates down, we are now at the position where infrastructure is aged and needs replacing.

“There are not many nice-to-adds.”

Adams told the council meeting, that from his observations at the conference, there would be “quite a few” councils that resolved to establish Māori wards.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Hauraki mayor Toby Adams.
Hauraki mayor Toby Adams.

Parliament passed a bill late last month changing the rules around how Māori wards are established following an impassioned and fiery debate in the House.

This means, to establish Māori wards for the next local elections, councils would be required to hold a binding poll in conjunction with the election.

The outcome of the poll will determine if Māori wards would be in place for the 2028 and 2031 triennial general elections.

Hauraki District Council voted to introduce Māori wards in October 2023.

In June this year, Hauraki District Council received submissions to an initial proposal for the required representation review, to reduce the number of councillors per ward for the 2025 local government elections by one.

This would have brought the total number of councillors to 12, including two Māori ward councillors plus the mayor.

The council also approved the name of the ward, Te Pakikau o te Ika.

Upon the review, the council resolved not to make any changes to the number of councillors.

The final proposal for the representation review was publicly notified and only one submission was received prior to closing on August 7.

Hauraki’s decision follows a recent resolution by neighbouring Thames-Coromandel District Council to establish a Māori ward for the 2025 local elections.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

07 Jul 07:00 AM
Sport

Magic prepare for clash against Tactix in Christchurch

07 Jul 01:31 AM
Waikato Herald

'Serious' condition: Two hospitalised in Waikato crash

06 Jul 11:10 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named
Waikato Herald

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

07 Jul 07:00 AM

Rereamanu Ronaki-Wihapi's mother was drunk, and initially egged him on.

Magic prepare for clash against Tactix in Christchurch

Magic prepare for clash against Tactix in Christchurch

07 Jul 01:31 AM
'Serious' condition: Two hospitalised in Waikato crash
Waikato Herald

'Serious' condition: Two hospitalised in Waikato crash

06 Jul 11:10 PM
Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage
Waikato Herald

Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage

06 Jul 06:00 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
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • 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
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP