Māori wards: Thames-Coromandel District Council unanimously votes for Māori representation

Thames-Coromandel District Council has become the 10th local authority in Waikato to establish Māori wards. Photo / Thames-Coromandel District Council

Thames-Coromandel District Council has voted unanimously to establish a Māori ward or wards for the 2025 and 2028 local elections.

Elected members held the vote on Tuesday in front of a packed council chamber, with community members, iwi and Māori leaders from across the district in attendance.

Prior to the vote, at least a dozen people spoke to the council in support of establishing Māori wards.

Moments before the vote was held, Mayor Len Salt addressed a comment made by a number of speakers.

“[They] said: ‘Thank you for allowing us to be here today’. It’s not for us to allow you to be here, it is your right to be here. That is our starting point.”

The unanimous vote was greeted with an emotional haka performed by members of the public attending the meeting. At least two councillors could be seen wiping away tears.

The decision follows after the neighbouring Hauraki District Council also opted to set up the wards last Thursday.

By law, this decision now triggers a representation review that will consider details like how many wards are going to be established and their names and boundaries.

While the review process will involve public consultation, it does not revisit the decision to have Māori wards. The representation review must be concluded by July 31 next year.

The council won’t decide who would become a Māori ward or wards representative.

“That is a decision for the voters. Our job is simply to decide the framework,” Salt said.

With the vote, Thames-Coromandel District Council became the 10th local authority in Waikato to establish Māori wards. The only councils that won’t implement the seats are South Waikato District Council and Waitomo District Council.

Māori wards are represented by councillors who sit alongside general ward councillors on the local council. Like their colleagues, they are elected representatives, but only voters enrolled on the Māori electoral roll can vote for them.

People on the Māori roll are only able to vote for the mayor and the candidates standing in the Māori wards. They can’t vote for candidates standing in the general wards.

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