Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Ballot forms posted on question of dedicated Maori wards

By Peter de Graaf
Northern Advocate·
27 Feb, 2015 05:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Far North residents have until March 17 to have their say on whether the council should bring in dedicated Maori wards.

Voting forms in the postal ballot have been sent to all registered Far North electors and arrived in most letterboxes this week.

Last year the council decided to hold a binding poll about setting up dedicated Maori seats around the council table for the 2016 and 2019 local elections.

If a majority of votes are in favour of Maori wards, the council will determine the number of general and Maori wards - as well as the number of councillors for each - when it conducts a representation review later this year.

Mayor John Carter said the council was committed to working more closely with Maori but it didn't have a view on dedicated Maori wards.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This is a decision to be made by the community, not the council, so it's important that people take part in this poll."

The council had already started looking at ways for Maori to contribute to decision-making processes.

Mr Carter said the option of dedicated seats had to be canvassed first, but if that was rejected by voters the council would seek feedback from Maori about other options. They included setting up appointed advisory boards or representation on council standing committees.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Iwi leaders were unimpressed by the poll when it was announced last year, Ngai Takoto's Rangitane Marsden going as far as describing the poll as "insulting".

If the council wanted Maori at the decision-making table, it should not have to ask the rest of the public first, he said.

In 2001 Bay of Plenty Regional Council was the first territorial authority to introduce dedicated Maori seats. Three of its 14 seats are set aside for Maori.

? Voting documents have been sent to all electors on the general and Maori parliamentary electoral rolls. Anyone who believes they are eligible to vote but hasn't received a voting document should call the Electoral Office on 0800 922 822 to cast a special vote. Completed voting forms can be returned by post or hand-delivered to council offices in Kaikohe, Kaitaia or Kerikeri until March 17.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

The Good Drop: Warehouse, Salvation Army team up for textile recycling

Northern Advocate

Police name person who died in early morning Kaitāia crash

Northern Advocate

Kaipara mayoral hopefuls on rates, museums and what they would do differently


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

The Good Drop: Warehouse, Salvation Army team up for textile recycling
Northern Advocate

The Good Drop: Warehouse, Salvation Army team up for textile recycling

Donors receive a 10% voucher for clothing purchases over $30 as an incentive.

14 Jul 04:00 AM
Police name person who died in early morning Kaitāia crash
Northern Advocate

Police name person who died in early morning Kaitāia crash

14 Jul 02:07 AM
 Kaipara mayoral hopefuls on rates, museums and what they would do differently
Northern Advocate

Kaipara mayoral hopefuls on rates, museums and what they would do differently

14 Jul 12:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP