Marlborough councillors unanimously vote to preserve Māori precinct

Marlborough residents will vote in 2025 on whether Māori will continue to be represented on their district council after elected members endorsed their seat at the table.

At an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday in front of a packed audience, councillors unanimously decided to retain the single Māori district.

This means the matter will now be put to a binding public referendum at next year's local elections, with the result taking effect from 2028.

At this time, the government is proposing changes to the Electoral Act to force councils that have introduced wards without consulting Māori residents to decide whether to hold a referendum or abolish the wards altogether.

The decisions must be made by Friday.

In the 2022 local elections, councils in Nelson and Marlborough introduced Māori wards for the first time.

Marlborough is one of three councils in the north of the South Island that will decide the future of their Māori districts this week.

Allanah Burgess is Marlborough's first Māori councillor, having taken office two years ago.

Allanah Burgess is Marlborough's first Māori councillor.
Photo: Delivered

At the last local elections, councils in Nelson and Marlborough introduced Māori wards for the first time, while elected members in Tasman voted in 2023 to establish a Māori ward at the next election in 2025.

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor said in the council chamber on Tuesday that the vote was not “about Burgess personally” but about the seat itself.

“I want to make it clear that we support you – you are part of our team and keep your head up,” she said.

She said the number of visitors in the public gallery was the largest she had ever seen.

“It’s great to see this level of interest and support,” she said.

Local iwi in Marlborough have welcomed the support of the district by elected members.

Corey Hebberd, Kaiwhakahaere Matua (managing director) of the Rangitāne o Wairau Group, told RNZ the decision was “hugely significant”.

“We are really happy with the decision,” he said.

“Having the community there for another term is another opportunity to make our voices heard at the council table. That’s really great.”

Elected members had described the coalition's moves as an “attack on local government.”

More than 100 people crowded into the spectator gallery during the meeting.

“What amazed me today was that the room was filled not only with the accused people who signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our region in 1840, but also with dozens of partners of Tangata Tiriti.

“The room was full of rangatahi, the room was full of Maori, and that's because we now see a place for ourselves at the table.”

44 of New Zealand's 78 councils must abandon their Māori wards before the next election or put them to a public vote in 2025.

Another council (Tauranga) has until its next election in 2028 to make a decision.