SWDC Maori ward decision may need full refresh

South Wairarapa District Council faces a dilemma over its newly-minted Maori ward, approved last November amid cheers, smiles, hugs and hongi _ some 27 years after the district established a Maori Standing Committee to help inform council decision-making.

A Coalition Government statement has advised a new Bill “will restore the ability for communities to petition their councils to hold binding polls on Maori ward decisions.”

“This will include holding binding polls on wards that were established without the ability for local referendums to take place,” Local Government minister Simeon Brown said.

In South Wairarapa the Maori ward decision came after widespread discussion and consultation but without a referendum vote – a pathway established by the Clark Labour government in 2001.

Masterton established a Maori ward in 2021 and has had a Maori ward councillor at its council table since the 2022 local body elections.

SWDC was due to include a Maori ward vote at the 2025 election.

The catch in the government’s change is the cost of a referendum vote – reported as at least $100,000 and “an expense we don’t need for an issue already debated and agreed at the council table,” Masterton mayor Gary Caffell said. 

Both councils face holding referenda on the issue. Binding referenda are not required to establish any other local body ward. 

Mayor Martin Connelly noted last November that “council has a legal duty to improve Māori participation in our democracy. South Wairarapa District Council paved the way years ago with the establishment of our Māori Standing Committee and now we get the opportunity to take it further with a Māori ward, strengthening policy and decision-making across council.

“This takes nothing away from anyone but provides tremendous opportunity for Māori. I’m proud of the action council took today.”

The aim of Māori wards is to ensure Māori are represented in local government decision making, he added. Currently a full representation review is under way in the district.

Māori wards are just one part of the review, under which SWDC will consider its ward boundaries, ward names, community boards and the number of elected councillors.

The decision to establish a Māori ward will not be open for submissions and it is not reversible

through that representation review process.

As reported earlier, the repeal of Maori wards was likely under the new National-led government.

Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon, asked whether the wards would be repealed, said: “That’s been our view and our position.” 

Coalition partner Act had pledged to repeal the wards. New Zealand First’s position is not clear, but it strongly opposes the co-governance concept, while also being bound by collective Cabinet decision-making. 

How they voted last November

For: 

Mayor Martin Connelly, Deputy Mayor Melissa Sadler-Futter, councillors Colin Olds, Rebecca Gray, Pip Maynard, Kaye McAulay, Aidan Ellims.

Against: 

Councillors Aaron Woodcock, Martin Bosley, Alastair Plimmer.