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Māori Ward Advocacy
At the end of July 2024 new legislation came into force that requires local bodies that have Māori wards to decide either to put the decision to a poll at the 2025 election or disband their Māori wards at the 2025 local body election that will be held on 11th October 2025.
There are dozens of councils with Māori wards that have until 6th September to make a decision. For the purposes of the Act, not taking action equates to accepting the requirement to hold a poll at the October 2025 election.
The Salvation Army has supported moves by councils to introduce Māori wards. We believe this is a positive step to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi by increasing representation of Māori at local body level. This work is a response to the ongoing social injustice that Māori experience through marginalisation in democratic and political decision making, including at local authority level.
Rūnanga members Richard Kerr-Bell and Anihera Carroll joined Ian Hutson from the SPPU in presenting to Parliament’s Justice Select Committee opposing the introduction of this legislation.
Watch the submission (starts at 2h33m)
Take action - decision time by 6th September
Of the 78 local bodies councils and regional councils, 6 have Māori wards that are not affected by the law change and a further 28 have no Māori wards. That means there are 44 local bodies that voted since 2021 to have a Māori ward and they must make a decision to continue with them or not. Not taking a vote by 6th September is interpreted by the law as a decision to hold a poll about retaining the ward.
Most of those councils are in the North Island with Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough councils the three in the South Island needing to decide.
See also the commentary by Kassie Hartendorp, Director of Action Station: Going Backwards on Māori wards
RNZ - Controversial law spurs wave of support for Māori seats, triggers mass polls
Things to do:
Write to your Mayor and councillors asking them to continue to support Māori wards in their area. Download an example.
Sign the petition started by Action Station ‘Keep Our Māori Wards!’
Sign up to support Te Runanga and SPPU with further action in the coming months on this issue
Photo: Envoy Anihera Carroll and Richard Kerr-Bell from Te Rūnanga o Te Ope Whakaora with former SPPU Director Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson