Māori ward retained by Nelson City Council

There were tears and waiata as Nelson City Council’s elected members unanimously voted to keep Nelson’s Māori Ward for the 2025 local election in a packed Council Chamber.

More than 60 iwi members and supporters from across Te Tauihu filled the council chamber and spilled over into a second viewing room on Thursday, 5 September to support Māori Ward Councillor Kahu Paki Paki as the debate and vote took place.

Cr Paki Paki expressed his gratitude to those who came to support him, saying it was “unfortunate to find ourselves at local community level, having to reaffirm this Māori seat”.

“It's undeniable that the establishment of the Māori ward has presented an example of the possibilities for Māori in our community to become involved in local government. Historically, our political participation has been disproportionately low, to a sense of disconnection and disenfranchisement.”

The decision means Council must run a poll alongside the 2025 election on whether to keep a Māori Ward for the 2028 and 2031 local elections. The result of this poll will be binding and apply to the elections in those years.

Cr Paki Paki said a decision to dissolve the Māori ward would significantly damage the relationships between Council and the Māori community, with whom many positive steps had been taken in recent years, such as the Together
Te Tauihu Partnership Agreement.

"This ward gives mana to those ratepaying Māori outside of their tūrangawaewae and is a conduit to the governance of their community with regard to their needs. This seat does not represent iwi, it's very clear. But it does represent the Māori community."

Mayor Nick Smith said his view was that decisions about electoral representation should be made by the people rather than elected members.

“We need to be honest about how little time in our history there has been Māori representation at this table. There are those that assert Councils and Councils alone should determine the representation around the table, but I strongly disagree with that view. The electoral system does not belong to the elected, it belongs to the electors. It's the people that must decide how they elect their representatives.

“There will be those concerned about this referendum being divisive. My challenge for our community is for it not to be. I am not afraid of our Nelson community being able to make a mature and sensible decision around the importance of this.”

Deputy Mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens said that as a Te Tiriti (Treaty of Waitangi) nation, it is our shared obligation to recognise our history, uphold what our ancestors signed up to, and embody its vision of partnership and Kotahitanga (unity).

“We can be a nation that recognises the mana whenua of this land, that gives due respect, but also hands over due power where it is needed. Because it is needed.”

“We must be committed endlessly to bringing that beautiful vision to life.”

What councillors said at the meeting:

Mel Courtney

“Nelson's Māori ward is working well, very well. Councillor Kahu Paki Paki is highly respected around this table. Kahu is committed and is a capable councillor. He is well connected in the Nelson community and has strong networks. He has mana and is appreciated and valued as a colleague. Why take away something we all know in our heart of hearts we are better off having as a council and as a community?”

Rachel Sanson

“This is about kotahitanga (unity) and ensuring that Māori voices, perspectives and leadership are woven into the fabric of our governance. We cannot afford to take a step backward. Our commitment to equity and justice demands that we uphold and strengthen Māori representation, not undermine it.”

Matty Anderson

“This is yuck. We know the ‘why we shoulds’. I’ve had a lot of emails from the, ‘why we should nots’. I read them...I try to understand what is going on.... How do we awhi (embrace) them and get them on the waka? Because they are the ones that are going to tear this down.”

Matthew Benge

“I feel very sad for Māori that we have ended at this point, because it's simply Hobson's Choice... The decision for me was easy, it was to ask Kahu what Māoridom wanted, and that is how we should vote. I'm told Māori want to continue with the ward. I feel that’s quite brave, because we’re asking a minority to vote against a majority about their future.”

Campbell Rollo

“Today's vote is a simple one. It's a commitment for our community to have a voice at the table. Imagine a council working with our iwi and without our Māori community. It would be a complete failure and it would not work at all. We must be united. We must use the partnerships we have in Te Tauihu with our iwi and with our community.”

Aaron Stallard

“I support Māori wards. As Councillors we are in a very privileged, fortunate place to have seen firsthand the effects of having that representation and it's fantastic.... if a referendum on the Māori ward is held next year at the local election, I'll be doing everything I can to campaign for a yes vote, yes to Māori wards.”

Trudie Brand

“We have a central government enforcing their views on a local government Council who is here to represent the people of the region that we live in. And we have heard what they had to say and I am frustrated and I apologise that we have to go through this, and I really don't feel that a binding referendum is the way forward, that is a bullyboy tactic that I don't agree with it. Therefore, I support that we retain our Māori Ward to ensure that we have a voice.”

James Hodgson

Cr Hodgson moved an amendment to give the public a say on the wider voting system in addition to the Māori Ward, when it holds the referendum in 2025. 

“What I think could have been a rational and constructive conversation has become a divisive one, by the decision of the Government to single out only the Māori ward...We can’t change what the government is making us do here, but we can bring ourselves as a council more into alignment… I question why we’re so nervous about giving the public a say on this.”

The amendment was lost 10 votes to 2. 

Pete Rainey

"Now we have a situation with Māori wards, well-embedded in communities up and down this country being bluntly dismantled by a divisive bit of legislation that is being promoted and forced on us by a coalition partner representing an extreme and small minority view in Aotearoa.” Cr Rainey put forward an amendment for Council's Chief Executive to report to elected members on the implications of Nelson City Council refusing to hold a referendum. It passed seven votes to five.

The amendment symbolised the elected members’ displeasure at being forced to hold the referendum, he said.

Tim Skinner

Cr Tim Skinner was an apology for the meeting.