Tararua District Council votes for Maori ward
29 August 2024
Yesterday, in a full Council meeting that saw many members of our community gather, alongside representatives from Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-rua and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, Tararua District Council voted to retain our Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua Māori Ward.
Before the vote, community representatives urged Council to keep the Māori ward seats. They also stood and joined Elected Members in a waiata (song) prior to the vote.
This decision comes amidst recent government legislation requiring councils to decide by 6 September 2024 whether to retain or disestablish their Māori ward/s. Where councils vote to retain, they are then required to hold a binding referendum alongside the 2025 local elections.
The Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua Māori Ward was established prior to the 2022 elections and was an important decision as a step towards fair and effective representation of tangata whenua at local government level.
You can view yesterday's full Council meeting, including public submissions and the Māori ward decision here: