The Napier City Council was one of five councils that voted against establishing Maori wards for next year’s local body elections. The vote was unanimous. However, after substantial pressure that included a Treaty of Waitangi claim, the Council started consulting Napier residents on whether they want to establish Maori wards for the 2025 local elections. We need a city-wide vote on whether Napier should proceed with a Maori ward.

Past votes on whether or not to proceed with a Maori ward have shown that a solid majority of New Zealanders do not support them.

We believe that Maori wards are not necessary for Council decisions, which are mainly to do with roads, clean drinking water, sewage, drainage, libraries, sports facilities and cultural centres, all of which are for the benefit of everyone irrespective of ethnicity.

Citizen-initiated referenda on Maori wards were outlawed by this Government in February. We know that!

But there is nothing to prevent a Council-initiated referendum.

We think that it is possible that if enough people ask to vote on whether or not to proceed with a Maori ward, the Napier council could put this out to the people of Napier to decide.

This is the correct way forward on such a contentious decision.

Submissions opened on Monday, August 16. There is an online submission tool at Go to https://www.sayitnapier.nz/ncc/maori-wards/have-your-say/

This enables you to have your say in a couple of minutes. Do it now. Click on the link and ask the Council to include a yes/no vote in next year’s election mailout on whether or not you support a Maori ward. We decide.

Then there is a comments box in which you could write something like:

Let the people of Napier decide by way of referendum next year as part of the local elections. A Maori ward is a significant change in voting arrangements for our district. Citizens are entitled to have a say. We should use the democratic process and let our community decide whether such a proposal should proceed.

The virtue-signalling, cost, and red tape associated with a Maori ward is the last thing Napier residents need.

Go to https://www.sayitnapier.nz/ncc/maori-wards/have-your-say/

Do it NOW! Thankyou.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Taylor

Napier Hill

Hobson’s Pledge Trust

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