Waipā votes yes to Māori ward representation

Waipā District Council has ‘doubled down’ on its decision to retain a Māori ward, reaffirming its commitment to Māori representation.

With strong local iwi support at its meeting yesterday, the council agreed to continue to provide a seat at the table for Māori, meaning a binding poll must now be held at the 2025 local body elections.

Mayor Susan O’Regan led the kōrero [discussion] saying she resented the Council being put in the position where they had to question themselves.

Giving Māori a guaranteed right to representation on council was not taking away the rights of anyone else, she said.

“Rights are not a piece of pie – the more you have doesn’t mean the less others will have. We are not giving up anything by including a Māori voice – it’s a plus for all of us and gives us a valuable Māori perspective to strengthen our decision making.”

Māori wards were a form of much-needed affirmative action.

“It’s seeing yourself have a place around the table, rather than being excluded.”

Waipā District Council was among the local authorities legally required to review its decision to establish a Māori ward.

Under the Government’s recently passed legislation, it had until September 6 to either retain the Māori ward and hold a poll on the issue in 2025, which would then be binding for the following two electoral cycles or reverse the decision and abolish its Māori ward.

O’Regan pointed out that the people of Waipā had shown overwhelming support for the council’s original decision in 2021 to establish a Māori ward.

Of the nearly 500 individual pieces of feedback received from Waipā residents, 73 per cent were in favour with 16 per cent against. The council had acted decisively as a result.

“It was localism in action,” she said.

“It was then, and remains now, the right decision, and given the community support, we are dismayed at the heavy-handed intervention from central government on this issue.”

Representatives from Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, and the Raukawa Charitable Trust, were invited to speak at the council meeting, and were united in their passionate support for the continuation of Māori wards.