Mayor Susan O'Regan says she resents the position the council has been put in by the government. Photo: Supplied
Waipā District Council has doubled down on its decision to retain a Māori ward, reaffirming its commitment to Māori representation at a meeting on Tuesday.
The Waikato-based council has agreed to continue to provide a seat at the table for Māori, meaning a binding poll will now be held on the issue at the 2025 local body elections.
Mayor Susan O'Regan said she resented the council being put in this position.
Under the government's recently passed legislation, the council had until 6 September to either retain the Māori ward and agree to hold a poll, or abolish its Māori ward.
O'Regan pointed out that the people of Waipā had shown overwhelming support for the council's original decision in 2021 to establish a Māori ward with 73 percent of submitters in favour.
"It was localism in action," she said.
Giving Māori a guaranteed right to representation on council was not taking away the rights of anyone else, she said.
"Rights are not a piece of pie - the more you have doesn't mean the less others will have. We are not giving up anything by including a Māori voice. It's a plus for all of us and gives us a valuable Māori perspective to strengthen our decision making."
Representatives from Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, and the Raukawa Charitable Trust, were invited to speak at the council meeting, and were united in their passionate support for the continuation of Māori wards.
