How would you like to be represented?

Following the decision to create a Māori Ward last year, Council now needs to undertake a Representation Review. Representation arrangements need to be fair, effective, and representative, with geographical areas (wards) divided so each Councillor ends up representing roughly the same amount of people while ensuring communities of interest are represented.

Current Council structure

In Kāpiti, we currently have four general wards with seven elected Councillors and three districtwide Councillors elected by all voters of the district. In total this equates to ten Councillors. We also have one Mayor and five Community Boards with four board members elected by voters of the area they live in and the ability for a defined number of general ward Councillors to be appointed back to a Community Board.

Establishing the new Māori ward

Considering the district’s current population numbers and especially the number of people enrolled on the Māori electoral roll, it is very likely that only one Māori ward will be established to ensure fair representation. Māori ward boundaries could either align with the entire Kāpiti Coast District boundary or represent a specific geographical area within the district.

Who will I vote for?

In the 2025 elections, people on the Māori electoral roll will be able to vote in the new Māori ward instead of a general ward and people on the general electoral roll will vote in their general ward instead of the Māori ward. Both Māori and general electoral roll voters will still vote for the Mayor, districtwide Councillors, and community board representatives for the area they live in.

Will the Māori ward decision be reversed by central government?

Council’s decision to establish a Māori ward was made prior to the new government signalling they propose to bring back polls for Māori wards, including requiring a vote on any wards set up without a poll at the next local elections.

It’s currently unclear how this commitment will be implemented and in what timeframe. We must follow current legalisation, which is to run a representation review this year for the Māori ward to be in place for the 2025 local government elections.