Hawke s Bay Regional Council opens consultation on Māori wards Tom Kitchin © RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Hawke s Bay Regional Council has pushed back on adding Māori wards immediately and will hear what the public thinks before any decision is made.
This follows the government s introduction of legislation to uphold council decisions to establish Māori wards.
The current law allows the decision of an elected council to introduce a Māori ward to be overturned by a local poll.
Just five percent of support is needed for a poll to be demanded.
But the government want to change that rule, with Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta saying the process is fundamentally unfair to Māori .
Hawke s Bay Regional Council passes Māori ward question back to ratepayers
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Hawke s Bay Regional Council opens consultation on Māori wards
rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.