Western Bay of Plenty District Council has voted to go ahead with the establishment of its planned Māori wards, and therefore to hold a binding poll in next year’s local elections.
Seven councillors and the mayor voted for the affirming of the ward. The mayor declared the motion passed. No call was made for votes against or count made of them.
Currently, the council has no Māori wards but it had been going to establish them in the next council.
In a statement after the meeting, mayor James Denyer said affirming Māori wards was the right thing to do and it meant the council was remaining faithful to an earlier decision.
“It is only right that tangata whenua can demonstrate the value a Māori ward will bring and the positive impact this will have at council. Removing Māori wards before they have even had a chance to prove themselves in our d, as they have elsewhere, would be a backwards step.”
The council will ask the community to have its say later in September. This is intended to shape how many Māori wards should be set up.
“The representation review and referendum on Māori wards are important moments in time for Western Bay, and we want to ensure as many people as possible join the kōrero on both matters.
“We all want to make our community better, and working together to make decisions with different perspectives will help us to be a stronger council for our community,” Deyner said.
Two councillors, Allan Sole and Laura Rae, are of Māori descent, and both spoke in the meeting but on opposite sides of the debate.
Rae kept her debate short and simple..
“It is with great sadness that we have to again as a council make this decision to establish our Māori ward or wards. In August 2023, Western Bay as a council chose to honour our responsibilities under the Local Government Act.
“I believe we have heard from the people, whom this most affects, which is Māori, loud and clear is that in fact they would like to have this in place to step further in the direction of meaningful, inclusive, diverse local decision-making.
“I do not see any reason to change that decision due to a forced legislative requirement, which is why today I will be voting in favour of retaining Māori wards,” Rae said.
Later in the meeting, Sole stood up to have his say. He was the only one in the meeting to do so.
He started by recalling his upbringing being mixed-race, then he spoke about his work for his iwi, and then Māori wards.
“Māori are moving along quite well without the divisive things or wards and seats.
“These wards are not needed. They don’t bring mana to our Māori. They are like a handout, that’s how it’s been treated, I feel ashamed that we do that.
“I implore you councillors, I totally implore you, to rescind this today and go back to the people. Go back and start again because this is wrong and it’s going to create more trouble.”
Councils have until this Friday to make a decision on whether they are retaining or affirming Māori wards.