Council slates government change on Māori wards

Waipā District Council has slated the government directive forcing councils to hold binding polls before establishing Māori wards.

Waipā established a Māori ward in May 2021 following community consultation which showed 84 per cent support. The government is now saying Waipā – along with 44 other councils – must either reverse their decision or hold a binding poll at the 2025 elections to see if the ward should remain.

At its meeting today, Council agreed to write to the Minister of Local Government Simeon Brown expressing strong concern about the proposed change. Mayor Susan O’Regan said the government had been arrogant in its approach and had “over-reached”.

“I’m disappointed the government has come in in such a heavy-handed way, on one hand promoting localism and on the other hand trying to dictate how local communities like ours should be represented. You can’t have it both ways,” she said.

“As it stands councils, informed by their own community, can make decisions about the establishment – or not – of Māori wards without having to undertake a costly poll. That’s what we did and that’s what all councils and all communities should be able to do.”

Waipā District Council will be one of 45 councils which established Māori wards, or have resolved to, since the 2021 law change which removed the requirement for a poll. The government directive means those councils, despite having already consulted their communities, have two options. They can reverse their decision to establish a Māori ward or disestablish current Māori wards, meaning there would no Māori wards for the 2025 elections.

If a council does not reverse their Māori ward decision, they must hold a binding poll at the 2025 election with the outcome of that poll to apply from 2028. A poll in Waipā would cost around $50,000.

O’Regan said she was concerned the Bill treats Māori wards differently from other wards which do not require a binding poll, including rural wards. She also noted that all Waipā councillors, whether elected in a general ward, rural ward or Māori ward, are charged with representing the interests of the whole district, not just one portion of the population or geographical area.

“We got a very clear message from our community in 2021, with nearly 900 submissions received. That is a significant number. It annoys me that our own, comprehensive consultation process appears to have been disregarded by people who don’t even live in Waipā.”

Council was told today the Bill confirming the change is likely to be introduced in May.