Under the roof of Te Pāhou Marae in Manutuke this morning, Gisborne District Council passed a majority vote to retain Māori Wards in Tairāwhiti.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz said, “our Māori Ward councillors bring a richness and different perspectives to the decisions made around the Council table.

“I see Māori Wards as a positive, it’s a plus plus and I am proud of how we’ve all come together.

“We don’t only serve those who voted for us – we serve everyone.

“It’s up to us to make sure the Council voices around the table are all of us, we need to hear the voices of our people and more than half of our people are Māori.”

Mayor Stoltz said the decision to retain Māori Wards was made all the more special because it was made under the roof of Te Pāhou Marae in Manutuke.

Every three months Council undertakes to hold their meeting at Marae around the region.

Chief Executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said the retention of Māori Wards was the right thing to do and it was also the sentiment from treaty partners in Tairāwhiti.

“Council established Māori Wards in the 2022 local body elections after a robust period of engagement with the community.

“Since that time the Government has changed, and there’s new legislation in place.

“The Government has reinstated a demand poll around Māori Wards and our Council is caught up in the process of that.

“This means we will be required to hold a referendum at our next elections in 2025. The result of this referendum would come into effect at the elections in 2028.”

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