New Plymouth District Defers Maori Wards Decision

New Plymouth District Council has decided to ask the community their views on Maori wards as part of the 2013 local body election.

Tonight (Tuesday) the Council declined to establish Maori wards, preferring instead to get some direction from the wider community.

“By including a community poll with the 2013 voting papers, we’ll have a cost-effective way to get a steer from voters in the district,” says Mayor Harry Duynhoven.

“Whether or not to establish Maori wards is an important step for the future of our community. We want to get this decision right, and the Council decided – after an extensive debate in which every Councillor took part – that it is important that we give all voters the chance to be heard on it.”

A proposal to include two members of Komiti Maori on NPDC’s standing committees – one on the Policy Committee and one on the Monitoring Committee – was moved to lie on the table so that more information could be gathered on how such a development would work.

However the Council agreed to fly the national Maori flag outside the Civic Centre, and to display it in the Council Chamber on appropriate occasions.

More information on the national Maori flag is available on the Ministry for Culture and Heritage website via the link below.