* from Ngātiwai Trust Board *

"Toitū te Tiriti

Toitū te Mana Motuhake 

Tākiri Tū te Kotahitanga

43 out of 45 councils have voted to retain their Māori Wards. This statistic sends a clear message to the current coalition government that they’re out of touch with what their communities want. Adding further insult to injury some councils are seeking legal advice to explore the consequences of not holding a binding poll as per the legislation changes.

The overwhelming support for Māori Wards reflects a strong call for fair and inclusive representation, and it’s a step towards honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our local governance.

Embarrassingly, one of the two councils opposed to Māori Wards is the Kaipara District Council (KDC). As an Iwi within KDC, we support Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua in their legal action against KDC, challenging their decision to disestablish the Māori ward, Te Moananui o Kaipara, last month on August 7th.

The case will be heard in the Auckland High Court āpōpō. The hearing is set to review the Council's alleged failure to uphold its obligations under Sections 81 and 82 of the Local Government Act, which require local authorities to ensure Māori involvement in decision-making processes - an obligation we believe KDC has not upheld.

Join us āpōpō Wednesday 11 September at the Auckland High Court from 9:30am."

 See link below for original post 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/4LAD2A8z68Nzorej/?mibextid=oFDknk