During July, Whakatāne District Council is presenting to Community Boards on the Representation Review and Māori Wards.
The review asks how many elected members there should be in our district and how they should be elected. The review considers wards, their boundaries, names, and how many councillors are elected to each. It’s also an opportunity to review the number of community boards, the number of members and subdivision boundaries.
A Rangitāiki Community Board meeting is being held this Wednesday 14 July at 5:30pm at the Matatā Fire Station.
Members of Ngāti Rangitihi are invited to attend to hear Council present on the Representation Review and Māori Wards.
This presentation will include the Council preferred options (3 general wards and 3 Māori wards, and what they look like) and next steps in the process.
In May 2021, following a change in legislation, Council voted unanimously to establish Māori wards. Council needs to follow a population-based formula within the Local Electoral Act to determine the number of Māori and general councillors, and whether they would be elected on a ward or district wide basis. A public consultation programme will be carried out in September 2021.
This is an opportunity for whānau to engage about the Māori wards structure prior to Council forming its initial proposal for consultation in September. We encourage all those who are interested to come along to the discussion.