A plea from Manawat tangata whenua to be listened to has been answered.
The district council has reversed its stance and is now backing the inclusion of a Mori ward for the 2022 elections.
Over 200 members of the public burst into cheers and waiata when the council voted 8-3 on Thursday in favour of introducing the ward, a mechanism for correcting the under-representation of Mori in local government.
It followed a presentation by over a dozen Mori representatives, parents, educators and an information systems expert.
READ MORE:* Manawat council revokes earlier recommendation and introduces Mori wards* Mori participation in council ‘shunned’, say church leaders* Tararua councillors to consider introducing Mori ward* People say they want Mori wards in wider Manawat and Horowhenua* Mori ‘kicked in the guts’ over failed Mori ward bid in Manawat
Eye to eye, Manawat District Council general manger of infrastructure Hamish Waugh and Rangitne kaumtua Wiremu Kingi Te Awe Awe, hongi following the decision to implement a Mori ward in the district.
They took turns explaining what a Mori ward would mean to them and rebuffing arguments made by councillors at a meeting on May 6 where they decided, 6-4, to defer a decision on Mori wards until 2023.
That recommendation sparked an historic protest hkoi in Feilding five days later, when over 500 people marched to the council building.
Meihana Durie, spokesperson of Te Ktui Reo Taumata Collective which represents all iwi, marae and hap in the district, said he and fellow Mori were elated to finally have a voice, an opportunity to be on council.
To the councillors who changed their mind, he thanked them for their “courageous decision… to hear our voices and recognise what the hkoi was about.
Te Ktui Reo Taumata Collective spokesman Meihana Durie addresses council before the vote.
Mori wards returned to the table because of a challenge made by the four councillors who supported the ward; Alison Short, Hilary Humphrey, Phil Marsh and Shane Casey.
Cr Short said their challenge was on the grounds that by deferring the decision, the council had rejected a unanimous recommendation from a standing committee of council the iwi advisory committee Ng Manu Tiko something they had never done before.
Additionally, their decision resulted in the withdrawal of all Mori from Ng Manu Tiko. Without them, council could not meet their legislative requirements of Mori consultation, threatening its day-to-day functions.
DAVID UNWIN WARWICK SMITH/ STUFF
Manawat iwi and supporters’ historic hkoi through Feilding, calling on the Manawat District Council to reconsider its stance on Mori wards.
Cr Stuart Campbell, who had abstained from the May 6 decision, citing a conflict of interest, was the first to ensure a change in vote. The conflict was no longer apparent, and he voted in favour of Mori wards.
He told Stuff when council considered a Mori ward in 2017, he voted against it because he thought there were better ways to engage with Mori. But he now believed “times have moved on and a Mori ward was best for the district.
Cr Heather Gee-Taylor switched her vote from opposition to support.
Councillors Heather Gee-Taylor and Stuart Campbell, who changed their vote to support Mori wards on May 20.
She had received flak online for her May 6 speech, when she challenged Mori to work harder and put more money behind their campaigns when standing in the rural or urban wards.
In tears, she said she had experienced racism and been spoken to in a way that I would never have spoken to you.
A voice in the crowd shouted that she had experienced racism for two weeks, whereas Mori had experienced it for generations.
The room erupts in haka, waiata and celebrations after the motion to established Mori wards is passed.
As Cr Gee-Taylor confirmed she would support a Mori ward, ensuring a majority vote, she said I really, really want your young people on my council.
Mayor Helen Worboys and deputy mayor Michael Ford had previously said they were personally in favour of a Mori ward, but as representatives could not agree to adopt one without first better educating the public.
Though their votes were not needed to pass the motion, both changed tact and supported the wards inclusion in 2022.
Worboys said of the many other options she offered iwi, none… were acceptable. It was clear adopting a Mori ward was the only way to get Mori to re-engage with council.
Mayor Helen Worboys changed her vote to support Mori ward.
Ford maintained he wanted to respect the results of the 2018 poll, when 7268 people a 77 per cent majority of those who took part opposed a Mori ward.
But he said not adopting one could negatively impact council business and its relationships with neighbouring authorities, almost all of which have embraced Mori wards.
Cr Humphrey argued that the 2018 poll was no longer relevant as the country and the world had changed: We are not the same people we were in 2018.
Councillor Hilary Humphrey speaks in favour of Mori wards.
“And as we’ve seen in the past two weeks, the people of Manawat are now saying that Mori wards are a way of better including our Mori community.
Councillors Andrew Quarrie, Grant Hadfield and Steve Bielski, maintained their opposition to Mori wards.
All councils have until May 21 to introduce a Mori ward in time for the 2022 local government election.
Any council that votes in favour of Mori wards triggers a representation review, which would otherwise wait until 2023.
Meihana Durie, spokesman for Te Ktui Reo Taumata Collective, leads the haka at the Feilding clocktower to protest the May 6 decision to defer Mori wards in Manawat.
That review would allow councils to expand or decrease the amount of general seats on council, as well as introduce or abolish existing wards.
The number of Mori ward seats would be determined by the proportion of residents on the Mori roll.
The Manawat Mori ward will likely have one seat. Mori roll electors would have one vote, as well as a vote for mayor, the same as those voting in the Feilding and rural wards.
At the request of mana whenua, neighbouring authorities in Palmerston North, Rangitkei, Tararua, Horowhenua, Ruapehu, as well as the Horizons Regional Council, have all voted to establish Mori wards for the 2022 election.
Watch as the Tararua District Council makes an historic decision to introduce Mori wards.
Whanganui District Council will not be adopting the ward.
Mayor Hamish McDouall said although the absence of Mori around the table was glaring, iwi leadership advised council they did not want a ward and we respect that.