Māori ward ‘actively’ retained at Extraordinary Meeting
Councillors voted unanimously to retain the district’s Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward at an Extraordinary Meeting held today (Friday 6 September) at Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise Park. This ‘active decision’ not to disestablish the Māori ward means that a referendum will be held during the 2025 Local Election giving voters the opportunity to say whether or not to retain the ward in the Far North.
Far North District councillors voted to create Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward at an Extraordinary Meeting in May 2021. This followed informal feedback from the community as part of its Representation Review held that same year. Of the 499 responses received, 408 responses (81.76 per cent) supported establishing a Māori ward. Ngā Tai o Tokerau covers the entire district and comprises of four councillors, elected by voters on the Māori Electoral Roll.
The council’s decision to retain its Māori ward was an expected outcome of the meeting, as it had previously passed the same resolution on Thursday 9 May 2024. However, because this decision was made before the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill 2024 had been passed, it did not qualify as an ‘active decision’.
The amended Act passed its third reading on 31 July 2024 and was enacted after receiving royal assent. The amendment specifies that an active decision, on whether to retain or disestablish a Māori ward, must be made by all New Zealand councils by Friday 6 September. The amendment also reinstates the requirement of binding polls to establish Māori wards, which was removed in 2021. Since 2021, 45 councils established Māori wards without holding a poll.
At today's meeting, councillors also voted that the council's CEO, Guy Holroyd, be asked to investigate options of not conducting a binding poll at the next local body election in 2025.
Photo caption - local rangatahi demonstrating their support for retaining the Māori ward during the council meeting.