Former Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai. Photo / NZME
Former Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai is among a trio of local leaders speaking at a “Why Māori wards?” panel discussion in the city next week.
The Network Waitangi Whangārei event aims to highlight the benefits of Māori wards, before the local elections in October.
Mai will join sitting Whangārei District councillor Carol Peters and community leader Mike Kake (Ngāti Hau, Te Parawhau and Ngāpuhi) at the event on July 30. Kake is a member of Northland Regional Council’s Te Ruarangi Māori committee.
Mai stood down after nine years of Whangārei District Council governance in 2022.
Network Waitangi Whangārei spokeswoman Jette de Jong said more than 150 people were expected at the event, with people from around Northland able to attend either of two July 30 attendance options. The lecture panel talk will take place twice, firstly in a lunchtime session from noon to 2pm and then an evening lecture from 7pm-9pm.
The two-hour events will include a discussion panel followed by a question and answer session.
De Jong said the event had been organised before this year’s local elections to help explain the value of Māori wards.
Northlanders will be voting for their choices for the region’s 63 local government politicians in October.
Eight of these politicians represent what will be three Māori electoral areas – two each for Whangārei District Council (WDC) and Northland Regional Council (NRC) and four for Far North District Council (FNDC).
Electors will also have the opportunity to vote in a binding poll on whether to keep WDC’s Whangārei District Māori Ward, FNDC’s Nga Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward and NRC’s Te Raki Māori Constituency at the 2025 local elections.
The future of these electoral areas hangs in the balance as a result.
The wards will all start a second three-year term at the October elections, but the polling will decide whether they continue for a third term, and beyond, after the next local elections in 2028.
Mai spoke out against the Government polling requirement when WDC last year recommitted to keeping its Māori ward for the 2025 local elections.
Mai was Whangārei Mayor when WDC’s Māori ward was introduced for 2022, in a 57% majority November 2020 council decision.
“This is a watershed day,” Mai said following the decision.
She called on Whangārei residents at that time to support the council’s decision to bring in the ward.
“The winds of change are blowing,” Mai said at the time
“Let’s have courage to trim our sails, maximise this strong change in the wind and point our waka toward a united future.”
WDC’s decision to introduce a Māori ward was internally challenged four months later.
Five councillors, led by current Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo and including current Deputy Mayor Phil Halse and councillor Simon Reid, failed in their bid to overturn the ward’s introduction decision.
Meanwhile, three current Te Tai Tokerau Māori ward councillors have to date confirmed with Local Democracy Reporting Northland they are standing for a second term from October – Ngā Tai o Tokerau councillors Hilda Halkyard-Harawira and Babe Kapa, as well as Whangārei Māori ward’s Deborah Harding.
Only electors on the Māori roll can vote for Māori ward candidates.
This is in contrast to electors on the Māori roll and general roll both being able to take part in the polling.
Voters in Kaipara won’t be voting for a Māori ward councillor or have the chance to have their say on its future in polling because Kaipara District Council voted to get rid of its Māori ward in August last year.
The free July 30 discussion panel will be at 116a Bank St, Whangārei, with koha appreciated.
It’s part of this year’s month-long Network Waitangi Whangārei lecture series – the Treaty and Me 2025.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.