Far North District Council will be taking their decision after conducting a poll at the next election in 2022.
Recently Ruapehu District Council, Tauranga District Council, and New Plymouth District Council also voted to introduce Māori wards at the 2022 and 2025 elections.
The numbers are growing, the winds are blowing!
Our council's decision will be viewed by people as either democratic or undemocratic, visionary or racist. I see it as giving fair representation to people in our community who have been under-represented since the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Democracy is ever-evolving – it has adapted over thousands of years to address flaws, opportunities and limitations.
Māori wards were made available to local government in 2001 with amendments to the Local Electoral Act.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council was the first council in New Zealand to establish Māori constituencies in 2004.
Tipene Marr, one of the first councillors elected on to that council, said in April last year; "You need to understand, we're not getting power. The seats mean we're getting representation. We're getting opinion, we're getting a say."
Waikato Regional Council and Wairoa District Council also have Māori seats.
I am proud of our council's ongoing and meaningful development of its relationship with our hapū partners. We had the inaugural Te Karearea Strategic Partnership Standing Committee two weeks ago.
We heard endorsement for Māori wards from hapū members of the committee. Māori Wards were described as transformative change, as footsteps for our tamariki and mokopuna.
We were encouraged to embrace change. A committee and wards ensure both representation and participation – they are complementary.
There are no guarantees that the next council will choose to set up a standing committee for Māori. It is important for me to know that our council will be leaving a legacy for Māori representation for future councils by instituting Māori wards.
The debate in chambers last week brought forward a range of responses from elected members. It was important that all opinions were met with respect, knowing that democracy enables elected members to come to the decision-making table with an open mind, reflecting the various views of our community, and with a duty to make a decision without fear or favour.
My heart and my head both tell me this was the right thing to do.
Our council displayed the courage to trim our sails, maximise this strong change in wind and point our waka toward a united future.
• Sheryl Mai is mayor of Whangārei.
