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The binding ballot system was removed in the Local Elections Act 2001 in 2021. Since then, 45 local councils have established Māori electorates or decided to establish Māori electorates without holding a ballot.
The amendment passed its second reading last week and passed its third reading in Parliament on Tuesday.
Rotorua Lakes District Council It was decided to introduce Māori wards in 2021. Pushing forward controversial legal reforms This would equalise the number of Māori and general electorate seats in Parliament.
April 2022 The Local Government Commission determined The council will have six general councillors, one rural councillor and three Māori councillors. The mayor will be elected by all.
The election will last for two election cycles.
new The parliament elected in October 2022 withdrew its support for the law That changed last year.
Rotorua City councillors discussed their options in relation to the amendment bill on Monday.
The city council must decide its next move by September 6. Rotorua can choose to remove its three Maori districts from local elections in 2025 and beyond, or hold a binding local electorate referendum in the same year.
If it chooses to repeal, it has two subsequent options.
Executive director of corporate planning and governance Oonagh Hopkins told councillors most councils could return to previous representation arrangements. For Rotorua, all councillors would be elected by the district at large.
Otherwise, it may conduct a shortened representative review, completed in early 2025.
“Both of these options have their limitations.”
Mr Hopkins said this meant there would be no Māori electorates at the local elections in 2025 and 2028 at least. If it was withdrawn, a review of representation should be carried out in 2027/2028, and if a shortened review was carried out, a full review should be carried out in 2030/2031.
She said the rollback process was also limited given the committee’s decision.
Mr Hopkins said it was “highly unlikely” the council would take such a course without seeking the committee’s permission or support.
“Their determination trumped all else during the representation review process.
“It is not possible for a revocation or council decision to override the decision they have already made.”
If a binding vote is held directly at the next local election, the outcome will determine what arrangements the council will adopt as a starting point for the next representation review in 2027/2028.
She said the options available were “quite limited” and the deadline for decision-making was tight.
The Māori MPs for Rotorua are Rawiri Waru, Lani Kereopa and Trevor Maxwell.
Maxwell is The country’s longest-serving MP Waru and Kereopa were newly elected in 2022.
At the workshop, Waru said none of the options made sense, but that was not the fault of the council or staff.
“To be honest, I don’t give a shit about it.”
Laura Smith is a local democracy reporter for the Rotorua Daily Mail. She previously covered general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express and has been a journalist for five years.
– LDR is a local news organisation jointly funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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