Under the Local Electoral Act 2001, Councils decide their own representation arrangements, including whether to establish Māori wards. Horowhenua District Council is seeking feedback from the community regarding the possible introduction of a Māori ward in Horowhenua.

The intention of a Māori ward, is to provide a way for council to achieve fairer representation of Māori members of the community, and ensure greater Māori participation and input into council decision-making processes.

Horowhenua District Mayor, Bernie Wanden said “It’s important that local government representation reflects the community it represents, in order for decisions to be made that impact all parts of district.”

Locally, the level of Māori representation in the Council since 1989 has been varied and not necessarily proportionate to the Māori population of Horowhenua, he said.

Based on the calculation set out in the Local Electoral Act 2001, if a Māori ward was established in Horowhenua there would be one Māori ward Councillor. There would also be a need for Council to undertake a representation review to propose how many councillors it will have at the next election, and the boundaries for any wards.

The period for feedback closes at 5pm on Tuesday, 4 May 2021.

You can provide feedback by completing an online survey at www.horowhenua.govt.nz/haveyoursay or emailing recordsprocessing@horowhenua.govt.nz (Please write ‘Māori wards feedback’ in the subject line). Alternatively, you can drop a completed feedback form to Council’s main office at 126-148 Oxford Street, Levin, or Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom or the Shannon Library.

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