Thursday 5 September 2024

Napier City Council today voted to reaffirm its decision to introduce Māori wards at the 2025 local body election, with one abstention. This means Napier residents on the Māori roll will vote for at least one Māori ward candidate at the 2025 election.

The recent Māori Wards Amendment Legislation consultation asked residents whether they wanted Council to keep with its 2021 decision or quash it. The consultation was needed because of the Government’s new legislation requiring councils to revisit any decision made to introduce Māori wards without a binding poll.

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise says today’s decision will strengthen Napier’s governance arrangements.

“Having Māori ward councillors in Napier will bring a stronger bi-cultural perspective to our planning and decision making and will reinforce our commitment to work in partnership.”

“In the last two elections, there were four Māori candidates and three were elected. Our current council has two Māori councillors. This is a positive step for Māori representation, but I don’t believe it’s good enough.”

“My hope is that Māori wards will encourage more Māori to stand in our local elections. It will add power and mana to the Council and create new forms of Māori representation, rather than replacing any that exist already,” says Mayor Wise.

“Today is a time to celebrate Māori wards, which will be a part of Napier’s local democracy in the 2025 elections. I thank everyone who has shared their views with us over recent weeks.”

There was a large turnout from the community at the meeting, with formal korero from Mana Ahuriri, Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust, and Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui a Orotu who all spoke in support of keeping Māori wards for Napier.

Key facts

Napier City Council decided in 2021 to introduce Māori wards at the 2025 election. The proposed legislation meant a new decision on the matter had to be made by 6 September.

Submissions in the Māori Wards Amendment Legislation consultation resulted in 60% being in favour of Māori wards. The weighted results, (adjusted for Napier’s 2023 census data and excluding non-Napier residents and those below the voting age) were 54% in favour.

In line with new Government legislation, the matter will be settled by the community in a binding poll during the 2025 local government election. 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 Napier would have Māori wards at least until the 2031 local government election.

Council’s recent Representation Review proposal included one Māori ward for all of Napier, with two councillors representing this ward, proposed to be called Te Whanga. If the proposal is adopted by Council on 10 September, then today’s decision means Napier residents on the Māori roll will vote for two candidates to represent Te Whanga ward at the next election on 11 October 2025.

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