Practical support for Māori wards at Whakatāne District Council is the focus of a community action hui this Sunday.

People offering help towards keeping the Māori wards beyond the next three years, are invited to the hui.

It’s being hosted by the Whakatāne Māori Wards Action Group, at The Comm’s meeting room at 3pm.

Māori wards – that is, dedicated Māori representation in local government – will be a focus during the 2025 local council elections in October.

Local voters will be asked in a referendum or poll whether they want this representation. Results of the referendum will be binding and will take effect from 2028.

Provisions for this polling in new local government legislation introduced last year by the Coalition government, are regarded by the Action Group as discriminatory – especially against Māori.

“We’re seeking a resounding ‘yes’ vote for the wards to continue, in the October referendum”, said group spokesperson Graeme Storer. “It’s important we all encourage eligible people to register to vote before the election – and then encourage everyone to actually cast their vote. We need to make sure they’re aware of the huge value of Māori wards, and why they should take part in the referendum here.

“The wards finally give our significant Māori population in the Whakatāne district their own specific voices around the powerful decision-making tables of the council. This representation and participation supports some tangata whenua rights guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“In addition, several Pākehā councillors report that our three Māori ward councillors, in their first term, have already made substantial contributions to the council’s overall decision-making. For example, they provide valuable te ao Māori perspectives and link the council to wider Māori networks. This is important for activities like planning disaster response strategies.”

Staunch Māori wards campaigner, 15-year-old Jack Karetai-Barrett, will be talking about his next mission at Sunday’s action hui. Jack last month drew national attention to Māori wards through his awareness-raising hikoi from Whakatāne to Mount Maunganui and back, on foot and by cycle. Now he’s preparing a letter in support of the wards that he plans to personally deliver to the Prime Minister.

The Whakatāne Māori Wards Action Group includes members of Te Rōpū Tautoko Māori and Te Tiriti Matters and welcomes new participants. People keen to join the group’s activities, who cannot attend the Sunday hui, are invited to email [email protected]

For those wanting to learn more about Māori wards – how they work and what value they bring - the Action Group will regularly attend a stall at the Whakatāne Sunday market until October