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Wellington City Council is pushing ahead with plans to establish a Maori district in time for next year’s local body elections, a move that proponents say would give mana whenua a greater say in addressing some of the issues. From the capital.
The proposal will now be sent to the Maori for comment, but if appropriate, the new neighborhood, represented by an additional councilor, will be prepared in time for next year’s local elections.
“Maori voices must be at the table, it cannot be left to chance,” said Councilwoman Jill Day, who led the effort to form a Maori neighborhood.
Wellington, and the country, were facing a housing, water and climate crisis, and Maori had been “disproportionately affected” by these problems, Day said. “They have been affected by these problems for generations, and it is critical that we, as Maori, are involved in solving the problems,” he said.
When she was elected in the Takapū / Northern district in 2016, Day learned that she was the first Maori Wahine to serve on the council. She was so amazed by the statistic that she asked council staff to “triple-check” it.
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The push to establish the Maori district comes after local government minister Nanaia Mahuta announced sweeping changes in legislation, including laws that would support the council’s decisions to establish Maori districts.
It also comes as Wellington City Council strives to be more inclusive and bicultural.
The council established a new post of head of Maori strategic relations, which was filled by Karepa Wall in October, to build better relations with the Maori. Her top priorities include encouraging the use of te reo and supporting Maori-run businesses.
ROBERT KITCHEN / Things
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta recently announced sweeping changes to facilitate the establishment of Maori neighborhoods for municipalities. (File photo)
The City of Wellington has a total voting population of 206,800. The Maori electoral population, made up of people on the Maori electoral roll and a portion of unregistered Maori, stands at 9,400, according to council figures.
Under the Local Election Law, Wellington qualifies for an additional councilor for the new ward, bringing the number of representatives on the council to 15, not including the mayor.
People on the Maori electoral roll will be able to vote for the candidate from the Maori district as well as the mayor.
Things
Deputy Mayor Sarah Free says the council is on the cusp of something “quite important.” (File photo)
The council voted 12-3 on Thursday to agree in principle on the establishment of the Maori district starting next year, with Mayor Andy Foster voting with the majority.
“We will be on the right side of history by supporting this,” said Deputy Mayor Sarah Free, adding that the council was “on the cusp of something quite important.”
Diane Calvert, Nicola Young and Malcolm Sparrow were the three councilors who voted against the proposal.
Te Raukura Te Wharewaka O Pōneke president Liz Mellish said the council’s decision was “brave.” “I understand the joy that councilors have, I think it’s a great idea.”
However, he wanted to see more information on how the ward would function and who would be eligible to vote in it and how it would affect mana whenua’s relationship with the council.
“In a city like Wellington, we as mana whenua are outnumbered by other Maori, we must ensure that the mana whenua relationship continues,” he said.
Former councilor Ray Ahipene-Mercer, who in 2000 became the second Maori elected to the Wellington City Council, questioned whether the room was necessary.
“I would just stand on the same basis as anyone else, regardless of ethnicity,” he said.
He believed that the current system, in which Mana Whenua could bring problems directly to the council, was working effectively.
Sparrow said the council could have “put the cart before the horse.”
“We are asked to support the proposal in principle, subject to consideration of feedback from the specific engagement with mana whenua and Maori,” he said.
“Are we being asked to agree to something in principle before there is any real clarity as to whether it is really desired?”
Young said he could not support the proposal because it was focused on fixing the city’s water infrastructure and making sure the rates were affordable.
The council could not afford the cost of the consultation given its tight budget, he said. “I think this is a distraction to make sure we don’t have shit running around the streets.”
Ross Giblin / Stuff
Councilmember Nicola Young says the cost of the consultation on the proposal was a distraction to making sure the city didn’t have s … on its streets. (File photo)
The council would now ask mana whenua for comment before May 13, with the final decision to be made on May 21. Members of the general community could also provide feedback.
The decision to establish a Maori neighborhood was independent of a previous council decision to investigate the addition of two iwi representatives to all council committees. Councilors would consider a report on those findings on March 25.
Representatives for Wellington iwi, including Taranaki Whānui, were unavailable for comment last night.
