September 28, 2017
Orakei keen on elected roles
A Ngati Whatua Orakei spokesperson hopes Auckland Council will seize the moment and vote for Maori wards.
The council is going through the statutory process of reviewing Maori representation, although prospects of a positive vote at this stage seem slight.
Ngarimu Blair says since the super city was created seven years ago the main point of Maori input has been the Independent Maori Statutory Board, but he is not sure what it has achieved.
"I know what we did march for and that was two or three Maori wards created under the local government legislation with a meld of real democracy and Maori leadership so it's time for Maori to sit back and ask how has the last six years worked, have we achieved anything other than going to lots of hui or is there a better way where we have a couple of people with real voting power on these committees rather than what we have at the moment," he says.
Mr Blair says there now seems to be over-consultation in council, with 19 iwi in the mana whenua mix.
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