Imagine being hired for a new job and at the same time being told you’ll have to depart in three years because you’re not the right fit.
For Hawke’s Bay’s Māori ward councillors, that’s the reality they now face after the region’s local body elections on October 11.
Three first-time councillors, Shyann Raihania, Michelle McIlroy, and Amiria Nepe Apatu, all won Māori Ward seats. But because Hawke’s Bay residents voted by majority not to retain the wards, their tenure will last just one term.
Nepe Apatu, voted onto Central Hawke’s Bay’s Rautahi Māori ward, said her campaign was built around the values she was brought up with – working together as one. “To think that the majority of people voted to remove Māori wards was a slap in the face,” she said. “I’m shocked and reeling that the beautiful community I know now has this new undercurrent. I didn’t think it was like that.”
Nepe Apatu said she would be campaigning to bring it back every chance she had. “It’s disappointing, but it’s not the end. We might lose the Māori seat next term, but we will be pushing for it every term after that. Change is inevitable.”
Nepe Apatu sat for a year as the Pou Whirinaki (Māori adviser) on the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council before running for the Māori seat. She said she wanted to uplift the entire community, not just Māori. “What’s good for everyone is good for Māori.”
McIlroy, from Wairoa, won the Māui ki te Raki Māori ward seat for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
She said she plans to make the most of the three-year term and had two main goals, restoring the mana of the wai (water) of the region and making sure there was a survivable climate change plan for her town.
“When the river breached during Cyclone Gabrielle and I saw water pouring through the showgrounds, I knew I had to warn the community. I never want to go through that again. If I only have three years to achieve that, I’m up for it. I have a clear understanding of how things work and as long as we have a fair say in the chamber, I’ll be there representing my people and my town.”
She said she took her hat off to those people who campaigned for Māori wards. “It’s a big improvement on how things used to be.”
She was elated when she found out she had won the seat, but also realised the enormity of the responsibility. “At the core of everything we do is aroha and manaakitanga, looking after the people.”
Raihania, one of Napier’s Te Whanga Māori Ward councillors, said she decided to stand to ensure the people of Ahuriri – Māori, rangatahi, and whānau who have long been underrepresented – had a strong, unapologetic voice at the decision-making table.
Her focus for the term would be on building pathways for equitable housing, youth empowerment, and climate resilience.
“The outcome of the referendum may have gone against us, but the kōrero it sparked cannot be undone. It’s awakened something in our communities, Māori and non-Māori alike, who see that the future of our city must be one where everyone has a seat at the table.”
The referendums were spurred by the Government’s passing of the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024.
This reinstated the requirement that councils must hold referendums before establishing Māori wards, which the previous Labour Government had removed.
Wairoa was the only council in Hawke’s Bay that was not part of the nationwide referendum, because it had already held one.
In 2019, Wairoa District Council became the first in New Zealand with a specific Māori ward as a result of a poll at the local elections three years earlier.
Hastings District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council introduced Māori seats in 2022, and Central Hawke’s Bay District Council and Napier City Council in 2025.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Imagine being given a job based purely on your race that the majority of your constituency didn’t want.
And that there’s the rub.
People should be elected on merit, not race, period.
I think we’ve lost the Māori wards due to ignorance. I’ve spoken to so many people, who once I explained it, said they would have voted differently; they just assumed it was race based. Given Māori represent roughly 30% of Napier’s population, it was always going to be a hard sell without better education and campaigning.
Interesting responses when I suggested we go back to male only councils and governing bodies – why should women be represented? Why do we have youth councils? And let’s leave the rural communities to fend for themselves. Why do they need a voice? As I say – ignorance.
We should have anyone with voting powers that’s not democratically elected by a universal equal franchise.
The last mayor stacked committees . We have to return to democracy
I dont know where the 30% figure came from, but there are Maori Councilors elected by the voters giving Maori voices at the Council table. Equality is what we need, and decisions made on need and not race. On top of that, we dont want activists getting onto Council just because they can take over dedicated Maori seats. Just look at what Te Pati Maori brings to our Parliament, and its their stated policy to take over Maori Ward seats throughout New Zealand as part of a nationwide takeover of our Country.
So true – but – how many Maori have been elected in Napier prior to the Wards being instituted – ditto Hastings and CHB. And what percentage of the HB population are Maori – have they ever been voted in to Councils at anything approaching that number? Could that have anything to do with the fact that a majority of our communities are “white” and they just don’t vote for anything but their own – and a majority therefore leaves no room for “others” – so how do a large minority have their voices heard? And that applies to all minorities. Election on merit is a pie in the sky concept – elections always go to the majority racial group (can’t think of another way to express it other than “racial”) due to sheer volume of votes.
This is nonsense, %27 of parliamentarians identify as Maori, which means a lot of non Maori voted for them. Councils are a different kettle of fish and many of all races don’t want anything to do with them. I expect to see a large Indian contingent in the future across all elected rolls, one thing the British left behind in India was a love of bureaucracy. Councils are failing all over the country, at some stage there will be a major restructure, who knows what will become of us.
Grant, you forgot about all the Woke White Women.
There is an error in your ‘Elected and rejected’ story about Māori wards.
It says: “This reinstated the requirement that councils must hold referendums before establishing Māori wards, which the previous Labour Government had removed.”
That’s not what happened. Before 2021, the old act allowed for a petition (anyone could start one) with signatures from 5% of enrolled voters in the district to trigger a binding poll.
With the Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021, the then-government cancelled the public’s ability to trigger a poll, treating Māori wards the same as any other ward.
The government’s 2024 change didn’t restore the right to trigger a poll, it made them compulsory, effectively taking the role of Hobson’s Pledge in the matter.
They weren’t elected by the ratepayers, why are they even there. Just a waste of ratepayers money, they could stand for a ward just like anyone else and be elected on their merits.
Oh Phil, you have so much to acquaint yourself with regards to Aotearoa New Zealand’s history and understanding of colonialism.
The tide has turned and you will find your views way out of date. So do a bit of reading. Take out your ear plugs so you can hear the “now” state of the nation
Is that the new democracy?
Unfortunately for you the old democracy has to be voted out by the voters first
You tried, you lost
We did not have the right to vote so we were being dictated to by a racist minority.. we are very aquainted with New Zealand History,our forefathers have been patching up the waring factions of once we were warriors for 4 generations and the tribes are still quarrelling.
We should not have anyone with voting powers that’s not democratically elected by a universal equal franchise.
The last mayor stacked committees . We have to return to democracy
Woo hoo, only 3 more years of separatism (we hope).
Next, let us access our beaches stat.
The comment of the result being “a slap in the face” reveals an arrogant, entitled viewpoint. Everybody knew this election was going to have this referendum. The Keep Maori Ward supporters had a virtually unapposed platform to push their view with overt support from councils and even the Electoral Office. Maori, (as expressed by Nepe) are consulted widely, council bend over backwards to the extent that they formed Maori Wards in the first place, and Maori do get elected to council on their own merits. There are many examples of Maori in leadership including HBRC and the Hospital. There is no compelling reason to establish Maori Wards and the actions by our elected council to establish these wards citing “consultation” had taken place was dishonest and manipulative. Those who voted against were not slapping anyone in the face. We were given a choice and we expressed out opinion.
According to the declared Napier election results, 8,844 voters supported the retention of a Maori Ward in which there were only a total of 2,379 actual votes cast. Assuming each voter cast 2 votes, that’s only about 1,190 voters actually bothering to cast a vote in the Maori Ward.
It would seem that having 2x Councilor’s representing just 1,200 voters could perhaps be considered an over-represented constituency and thus removing the Ward and adding those voters back into the location-based wards is in fact more representative??