Representation review pānui 10 - Māori entities

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to our latest pānui.  This update covers:

• Introduction of the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill
• Progress around the motu 

Introduction of the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill proposing changes to Māori wards and constituencies

In pānui 8, we noted that The Minister of Local Government announced pending changes to the Local Electoral Act.   

The Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill proposing changes to Māori wards and constituencies has now been introduced and can be found at this link: Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill 46-1 (2024), Government Bill Contents – New Zealand Legislation

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has prepared a fact sheet explaining the Bill:  https://www.dia.govt.nz/maori-wards 

The Bill has been referred to the Justice Committee for consideration. Submissions to the select committee close this Wednesday, 29 May. Submissions can be made through this link:  Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill - New Zealand Parliament (www.parliament.nz) 

What do the changes mean for councils?

The Bill requires that councils that established a Māori ward since 2020 without holding a poll following the 2021 changes will be required to hold a poll at the 2025 local elections or reverse their decisions on Māori wards. Reversing this decision would involve rescinding the decision if it has not yet been implemented, or disestablishing Māori wards if they are already in place.  

We note that the introduction of the amendment Bill may raise questions for some council’s representation review processes.  We are encouraging these councils to look at the DIA fact sheet in the first instance, or otherwise contact lgc@lgc.govt.nz  

LGC officials will be better placed to respond to questions following passing of the legislation. We will also be developing new guidelines for Councils who are going through a truncated representation review or reverting to the previous representation arrangements that existed prior to Māori wards being established.    

It is also important to note that, for councils who are considering disestablishing Māori wards, the normal criteria will apply regarding fair and effective representation for replacement arrangements. 

Councils will need to wait for the legislation to be enacted before making any decisions under the transitional arrangements.  

Progress around the motu

All councils carrying out representation reviews are now well underway with preliminary engagement activities or have formally started the process. A snapshot of where various councils are up to in the process is as follows: 

Councils who have resolved their initial proposal:  

• Bay of Plenty Regional Council 
• Central Otago District Council  
• Chatham Islands Council  
• Far North District Council 
• Gore District Council  
• Grey District Council 
• Hauraki District Council 
• Hurunui District Council 
• Timaru District Council   
• Waikato Regional Council
• Westland District Council 

Councils who have completed consultation on their initial proposal:

• Central Otago District Council 
• Gore District Council 
• Hurunui District Council 
• Westland District Council

Ngā mihi

The Local Government Commission Team

The information contained in this update is intended to support well-informed council decisions and good practice throughout the representation review process. Specific representation arrangements are decisions for each council. The information is provided by Commission officials and does not reflect a particular view or preference of the Commission for any specific representation arrangement. Where representation is determined by the Commission, each determination is considered on its own merit taking into account the information available to the Commission.