Manawatū iwi to protest council over Māori wards decision

Monday, 10 May 2021

Miriama Kereama, left, and Hinemoana Durie work together with representatives of 12 marae in and around Feilding to make banners for their protest march to the Manawatū District Council building.

Iwi have broken ties with the Manawatū District Council over accusations of cowardice and disrespect.

Te Kōtui Reo Taumata, a Manawatū collective of tangata whenua, was established after the council voted 6-4, with one abstention, to defer the decision on whether to establish Māori wards to 2023, at a meeting last Thursday.

Collective spokesman Meihana Durie said Māori would not work with the council in a formal capacity, such as on their advisory board Ngā Manu Tāiko, until the ward was established.

A protest hikoi will take place outside the council on Tuesday at 9am demanding it reconsiders its stance.

All 12 Manawatū marae are united in a protest planned for May 11.

* Māori 'kicked in the guts' over failed Māori ward bid in Manawatū

* Ōtorohanga District Council votes for Māori ward

Te Kōtui Reo Taumata spokesman Meihana Durie says the rejection of Māori wards perpetuates longstanding inequities.

Durie said the collective “vehemently contested the decision” and would take its case further, including to the Minister of Local Government and the Waitangi Tribunal.

Durie said this decision threatened the relationship of the council with local iwi. He said although the advisory committee had been good at bringing Māori concerns to the council, it did not give them any decision-making authority.

In the council's 33 years, only one councillor identified as Māori.

Durie believed refusing a Māori ward “contravenes the spirit and intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, also undermining the council’s Te Tiriti responsibilities and obligations”.

Cr Hilary Humphrey is in favour of establishing a Māori ward.

He asked those against Māori wards to step back “from the politics of the day' and think of the future of Manawatū.

“Think about what would it mean for Māori to have more involvement, more meaningful participation to our community.”

Councillors who voted against Māori wards said public backlash and a busy schedule for both council and iwi were reasons why next year was too soon to implement them.

This was despite Ngā Manu Tāiko unanimously recommending the council adopt a Māori ward.

Mayor Helen Worboys pledges her support for Māori ward, but not for the 2022 election.

Durie said no marae, iwi or hapū felt too busy to help implement the ward and it wanted to work with the council.

He said the vote had been “catastrophic” and perpetuated “longstanding inequities, injustices and historical trauma previously suffered by our people in the past”.

“It also demonstrates a lack of courage and forward momentum,” he said.

Councillor Hilary Humphrey said the number of emails she received in favour of Māori wards was a “complete antithesis” of how Manawatū felt about the wards in 2017.

“The tide of public opinion has shifted significantly,” she said.

In response, mayor Helen Worboys and deputy mayor Michael Ford released a statement on Monday and said they would be prepared to bring the decision forward by one year, and guaranteed their 'yes’ vote. But it would not be in time for the 2022 local election.

They said they understood the hurt and disappointment of iwi and respected the collective's decision to resign from Ngā Manu Tāiko, but hoped to work closely with it.

Stuff understands a notice of motion, challenging the May 6 decision, is being prepared. It could result in Māori wards being back on the agenda for a council meeting on May 20.

Councillors Alison Short, Shane Casey, Hilary Humphrey and Phil Marsh voted in favour of Māori wards.

Cr Stuart Campbell abstained from the vote, citing a conflict of interest due to a financial relationship with the marae.

Councillors Grant Hadfield, Andrew Quarrie, Heather Gee-Taylor and Steve Bielski voted to defer the decision.

Worboys and Ford said they were personally in favour of Māori wards but also voted to defer the decision until 2023.

After last week's vote, the council released a statement on its Facebook page. It attracted more than 200 comments, with few in support of its decision.

In 2017 the council voted in favour of establishing a Māori ward but the decision was trumped by a 2018 citizens-initiated poll. This was part of a national movement against Māori wards led by lobby group Hobsons Pledge.

Earlier this year, the rule that citizens-initiated polls could trump council decisions was revoked, as it only applied to Māori wards.

The hikoi begins 9am at 139 South St, Feilding.