Win for Ma ori wards
Spontaneous haka as bid to scuttle seats decision defeated 8 to 5
The shape of Whangarei’s political landscape is set to change dramatically after a clutch of district councillors failed in their bid to block the introduction of Maori wards.
At yesterday’s livestreamed March council meeting, Whangarei District (WDC) councillors Vince Cocurullo, Shelley Deeming, Phil Halse, Greg Martin and Simon Reid failed to get council’s original November decision in favour of Maori wards dumped.
Mayor Sheryl Mai said the 8-5 vote against rescinding the original decision embedded new Maori wards representation.
The eight councillors who voted against overturning WDC’s original decision were Mai, Deputy Mayor Greg Innes, Gavin Benney, Nick Connop, Ken Couper, Tricia Cutforth, Anna Murphy and Carol Peters — the same people who on November 3 voted for Maori wards.
Meanwhile, the five Cocurullo-led councillors who set out to overturn WDC’s original Maori wards decision also voted against their introduction in November.
This original 8-6 vote included Cr Jayne Golightly, who voted not to bring in Maori wards but did not attend yesterday’s meeting.
Cocurullo said after the meeting he was disappointed his bid had failed.
“It’s a disappointment for democracy,” Cocurullo said.
Mai said the fact WDC’s November decision for Maori wards had not been overturned reinforced the council’s original decision.
An intense and sometimes emotional debate on Maori wards — which lasted more than two hours — included Mai having to ask the packed public gallery to respect council meeting protocol and not interject. By edition time, the meeting had been watched more than 3500 times online.
A 5133-signature Democracy Northland petition demanding a poll on Ma ori wards, which was delivered to the meeting by former WDC councillor Frank Newman, came in support of the Cocurullo-led blocking efforts.
Newman said the petition’s 5133 signatures represented 8.3 per cent of Whangarei’s registered voters, the largest paper-based petition delivered to WDC.
“The public want to be involved in this decision and feel very strongly that they should [be],” Newman told the meeting.
Government changes to the Local Electoral Act this month mean the petition, with its signatures gathered prior to the change, is no longer valid.
Yesterday’s decision was greeted with a spontaneous haka from Whangarei’s Te Kapua Whetu, led by head girl Tikarohia Te Marama Henare.
Mai said she hoped debate around the decision brought community engagement in the representation review process.
“I’m hoping this has elevated the thinking and discussion and engagement of the people of Whanga rei,” Mai said.
“I am really looking forward to the representation review process.”
Getting past yesterday’s challenge means WDC now moves into a newlook council for the next local government elections in 2022.
The Maori wards decision has triggered a full-scale, district-wide representation review, a requirement when these wards are brought in.
Mai earlier said this would be WDC’s biggest-ever representation review discussion.
The number of Maori and general wards, the total number of councillors, how they are elected, ward boundaries and whether there should be community boards will be among representation features now
I am happy about the council’s decision for Ma ori wards, we need Ma ori representation in council.
Te Kapua Whetu head boy Zion Bryers
under the spotlight.
The next step will be a council representation review briefing on April 1.
“I am happy about the council’s decision for Maori wards, we need Maori representation in council,” Te Kapua Whetu head boy and Year 13 student Zion Bryers said after attending the council meeting, his first.
Fellow Te Kapua Whetu Year 13 student Erina Paraha said listening to the council Maori wards debate had at times been highly discouraging.
“It was heartbreaking to think [that some people said] the council shouldn’t have Maori wards,” Paraha said.
Ngunguru’s Aorangi Kawiti, a WDC Te Karearea Strategic Partnership Forum Standing Committee member, praised yesterday’s decision.
Whangarei Maori should now become involved.
“Prepare to represent, to stand, to vote in Maori wards,” Kawiti said.
“Understand the processes involved so you can teach your children.”