Far North mayor Moko Tepania.
Photo: Northern Advocate / supplied

Far North mayor Moko Tepania is expecting a huge crowd when the council votes on the future of the district’s Māori ward on Friday.

The Far North District Council will be one of the last local authorities in the country to choose, under a contentious new law, between scrapping its Māori ward or holding a binding poll at the 2025 election.

The government’s deadline is 5pm Friday.

Tepania said an invitation to the meeting had been sent to Te Kahu o Taonui, a collective representing the Far North’s 13 iwi.

“It’s gone a bit viral on social media as well, with an invitation calling our people to come together. There’s a number of schools looking to come and show their support as well, so I’m expecting there to be quite a bit of interest.”

The meeting was originally scheduled to be held on Thursday afternoon but was postponed out of respect for the late Kiingi Tuheitia.

The delay also meant Far North residents would not have to choose between attending the meeting or following the king’s tangi and the coronation of a new monarch – described by Tepania as “probably one of the most significant days in in my lifetime”.

Tepania said the extraordinary council meeting would start at 10am at Ngāwhā Innovation Centre, just east of Kaikohe.

It was the last possible day councillors could vote on the issue, as required under the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024.

Tepania attended the king’s tangihanga, at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia, on Monday as part of the northern delegation.

“I’d have to say it was one of the most spiritual and cultural experiences of my life, to be among thousands of others who were there to pay their respects to Kiingi Tuheitia,” he said.

“He’s left a legacy of calling for kotahitanga [unity] here in Aotearoa. I could definitely feel that atmosphere when I looked around and saw all of our Northern tribes together, along with many other tribes and cultures, all paying their respects. It was a really beautiful occasion and very humbling to be a part of.”

The Far North District Council will be the last of Northland’s four territorial authorities to vote on Māori wards.

Last month, the Kaipara District Council was the first in the country to opt, by 6 votes to 3, to disestablish its Māori ward.

That decision is, however, being challenged by Ngāti Whatua, which has requested a judicial review.

Last week, the Northland Regional and Whangārei District councils voted, 8-1 and 9-4, respectively, to retain their Māori wards.

The regional council also voted, 6-3, to seek advice on the consequences of not holding a poll at the 2025 election.

The Far North District Council voted in May to retain its four-seat Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward – but because that took place before the new law came into force, the vote must now be repeated.