Far North mayor Moko Tepania celebrates councillors’ unanimous decision to retain the district’s Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward.
Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Far North District councillors have voted unanimously to retain their district’s Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward following an impassioned three-hour meeting.

Their strongly worded resolution also called on the council’s chief executive to explore the legal implications of not holding a binding poll as required – and added the words “forced” and “discriminatory” to describe the government-mandated poll.

The Far North District Council was the last, along with Hutt City, of more than 40 local authorities in the country to vote on the future of its Māori ward ahead of Friday’s 5pm deadline.

The four-seat ward will be retained for the 2025 election but the council will be required to hold a binding poll, alongside next year’s local government elections, to decide if it will remain in 2028 and 2031.

So far, all but two councils have voted to keep their Māori wards.

Far North mayor Moko Tepania said today’s unanimous vote was a great result, and a great day for the young people of the district, 72 percent of whom were Māori.

More than 200 people attended the packed meeting at Ngāwhā Innovation Park near Kaikohe, with many following the proceedings from the foyer and a hastily erected marquee because there was not enough room inside.

Those attending included a large group of students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe, the school where Tepania used to teach.

Three of Northland’s four local authorities – Northland Regional, Whangārei District and Far North District councils – have now voted to keep their Māori wards.

Kaipara District Council voted last month to abolish its Māori ward, the first council in the country to do so, but the process it used is being challenged by Ngāti Whatua, which has sought a judicial review.

More to come…