Time short for Maori ward poll | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

Time is running out on a decision whether to hold a poll that will ask if Hastings District Council should have a Maori ward as part of its 2013 election.

The council's Maori Joint Committee will meet today to discuss the options, which included supporting the poll, asking the council to create a Maori ward for the 2016 elections or to leave the idea for another time.

The council had the power to create a Maori ward but has missed the deadline for the 2013 election. It still had until the end of February to decide whether it should hold a poll on the matter and the outcome would apply to the next election.

Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc chairperson Ngahiwi Tomoana, a former Maori liaison officer for the council, said marae around Hastings were still weighing up the pros and cons of a Maori ward for the district.

"At the moment we're getting into a bit of a dogfight over whether there should be Maori wards or Maori seats," Mr Tomoana said.

"Some believe a Maori ward would mean fewer councillors, but I don't think that's going to happen."

Others were worried about using the Maori electoral role to elect people on to a Maori ward because it would open up voting to people from outside of the Kahungunu iwi.

"Probably not so much in Hastings and Wairoa where there is a Kahungunu dominance but maybe in Napier it could be an issue," Mr Tomoana said.

He said the initial idea, "going back to the late 1980s", was to set up a Maori committee for the council which would be a stepping stone towards full Maori representation on the council.

The council's joint Tangata Whenua Waste Water Committee was a successful example of that early goal set 20 years ago.

Mr Tomoana said it was fair to say there was apprehension from the entire Hawke's Bay community about the idea of setting up Maori wards on councils.

"But what we can say as Maori is, that we add to the value of the governance mix, we add a deeper understanding of our environment and also in terms of economic contribution," he said.

Mr Tomoana said the five treaty settlements coming to fruition throughout Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa would add to the value of a Maori ward.

"Many of our communities are in survival mode and now it's time to move into economic and job creations mode," he said.