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Talking Point: Community input needed over Māori wards
13 May, 2021 10:20 PM
4 minutes to read
Kirsten Wise, mayor of Napier. Photo / NZME
Hawkes Bay Today
By: Kirsten Wise
The issue and emotions of Māori wards is alive and well in our community right now, with an impending decision timeline of May 21 to enable these to be in place by our next local body elections in 2022.
We have been challenged about the process we intend to follow to help us to make this decision, including the allegation that a failure to resolve to establish Māori wards in time for the 2022 elections could be a breach of our Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi obligations.
The proposed consultation with mana whenua and the Napier community was planned during the coming months, allowing councillors to make a decision on Māori ward(s) by November 2021. But it would miss the government deadline of May 21 this year, as outlined in an amendment to The Local Electoral Act 2001, which came into effect on March 2 after a two-day consultation period with local government. “Unfortunately the two and a half month timeframe set by central Government has not provided sufficient time for council to undertake wide-spread consultation on this matter,” Napier mayor Kirsten Wise said.
Stuff
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said council understood the concerns mana whenua were raising with having to wait for 2025 for the implementation of Māori ward(s). (File pic)
CHRIS MARSHALL/Stuff
Taupō Blue Light chairman senior constable Ross Humphrey and Taupō Police youth aid officer Nicole Flaws are eager to get a youth hub in the town.
Taupō Blue Light Ventures has made an ambitious pitch to the Taupō District Council for a youth hub. In a detailed submission on the council’s draft Long Term Plan 2021/31, the registered charity and community policing youth programme suggested a facility on land close to the Taupō Skate Park or as part of adjacent Hickling Park. Previously a youth hub was mooted within redevelopment plans for community services at Waiora House in Spa Rd, but it has not featured in plans since at least October 2020, with council’s agenda items on the Waiora House rebuild stating “officers originally sought to include the Taupo Youth Hub here, but this has now been removed and will be located elsewhere”.