Māori wards question open for community feedback

Published: 9 August 2024

Napier City Council is checking back with the community for its views on whether to introduce Māori wards at the 2025 local elections.

The question is up for discussion again because of the Government’s new legislation requiring councils to revisit any decision made to introduce Māori wards without a binding poll. Napier City Council decided in 2021 to introduce Māori wards at the 2025 election. The proposed legislation means a new decision must be made by 6 September.

Council has just completed consultation on its six-yearly scheduled Representation Review, which had to take place before 31 July. This included a proposed single Māori ward for Napier with two councillors.

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise says the new legislation and requirement to reconsult was not conceived of by the Government when Council’s Representation Review process started in November 2023.

“Our Representation Review proposal included a Māori ward because that is what Council decided on in 2021. The Government’s legislation is a very recent change that coincided with our Representation Review. The timing was unavoidable.”

Council’s preferred position in this consultation is to stay with its decision to introduce Māori wards in the 2025 election. In this situation, the current Representation Review proposal would remain if adopted. Council would then hold a binding poll at the 2025 election on whether to keep Māori wards beyond the 2025-28 triennium.

If the community’s answer in the poll is no, then Māori wards will be removed from the 2028 election. If the community’s answer is yes, then the current Representation Review proposal, if adopted, remains until 2031.

If, after the current Government-mandated consultation, Council rescinds its 2021 decision, then a shortened Representation Review would need to take place soon after, without Māori wards being in the proposal. Alternatively, it can maintain the current electoral arrangements for the 2025 election and conduct a full Representation Review in 2027, when Māori wards could be considered again.

“This is an important conversation for our community. I encourage everyone to find out more about why Napier City Council supports Māori wards, and then get involved with this decision-making process,” says Mayor Wise.

The consultation is on sayitnapier.nz until 5pm, Thursday 22 August.

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