Stop the Far North Council Takeover.
Send in a Crown Observer.
It is worse than you think. A council has effectively been taken over.
We are deeply concerned about what is happening at the Far North District Council. Elected councillors are being sidelined while unelected iwi representatives are being given increasing control over council decisions.
This goes beyond consultation and even beyond co-governance. It is governance without accountability.
Local residents have raised serious concerns and a councillor has formally asked for help, but the Government has failed to act.
New Zealanders expect their councils to be run by people they can vote for and remove. When that principle is undermined, the Government has a responsibility to step in.
We, the undersigned, call on the Minister of Local Government, Simon Watts, to:
- Immediately appoint a Crown Observer to the Far North District Council
- Investigate governance arrangements and decision-making processes
- Ensure democratic accountability is restored
If the Minister refuses to act, he is effectively endorsing governance by groups the public cannot vote out, and we will call for him to be sacked.