Regional Council to discuss Government announcement abolishing local veto on councils' Māori wards
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council will be discussing the implications of the Government’s plan to abolish a law that allows
local referendums to veto decisions by councils to establish Māori wards.
The move will be made in time for the 2022 local body elections.
The issue will be on the agenda at the next Regional Council meeting at the end of this month, and councillors will be
determining what sort of process to run ahead of the 21 May 2021 deadline.
The Regional Council had already decided to hold a poll alongside the 2022 election.
Chair Rex Graham says given the Government’s announcement, the Regional Council will need to revisit this issue and make
a fresh decision.