What’s at stake: The inclusion of Māori voices in local government is on the line, pitting principles of partnership against fears of division.
Background: Māori wards are council wards elected by voters on the Māori electoral roll, ensuring Māori communities have dedicated representation at the council table. Functionally, they operate identically to any other council ward. In 2021, the Labour Government removed the referendum requirement for establishing Māori wards. The National-led coalition Government in 2023 reintroduced mandatory referendums, reigniting debate nationwide.
Main players: In Kaipara and Hauraki districts, newly elected mayors took opposite approaches – one swiftly scrapped a Māori ward, another doubled down on partnership with iwi. Their stories, alongside expert analysis and the experience of former New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd, highlight the tensions and misconceptions around Māori wards.
Late 2023 marked a turning point for Māori representation in local government. A new National-led Government reversed the previous Labour Government’s policy, insisting that “all we are doing is returning that decision back to local communities and local democracies” – as Prime Minister
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What’s at stake: The inclusion of Māori voices in local government is on the line, pitting principles of partnership against fears of division.
Background: Māori wards are council wards elected by voters on the Māori electoral roll, ensuring Māori communities have dedicated representation at the council table. Functionally, they operate identically to any other council ward. In 2021, the Labour Government removed the referendum requirement for establishing Māori wards. The National-led coalition Government in 2023 reintroduced mandatory referendums, reigniting debate nationwide.
Main players: In Kaipara and Hauraki districts, newly elected mayors took opposite approaches – one swiftly scrapped a Māori ward, another doubled down on partnership with iwi. Their stories, alongside expert analysis and the experience of former New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd, highlight the tensions and misconceptions around Māori wards.
