The Minister has told councils they can address that wrong in one of two ways.
The first is to revoke their earlier decision, which would mean there would be no Māori ward for the 2025 local body election.
The second
option is to hold a binding referendum at the time of the 2025 election. If a
majority of voters say no to the Māori ward, it would take effect from 2028.
Legislation is
expected to be introduced shortly and go through a public submission process
before being passed in the House before the end of July.
The proposed
changes have brought a mixed response from our local councils. The NRC has
already expressed its opposition, while the KDC is likely to revoke the
decision of the previous council to create a Māori ward. The WDC is yet to say
which of the two options it will take.
