Māori wards and participation

​Māori wards in Aotearoa / New Zealand

Māori wards represent local voters registered on the Māori parliamentary electoral roll.

Each Māori ward sits alongside the general wards and means that there is an elected councillor on the Governing Body who represents the Māori voters in that area.

Māori wards were first introduced by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in 2001.

A number of local authorities have Māori representation, including:

• Waikato Regional Council
• Bay of Plenty Regional Council
• Wairoa District Council.

And 32 councils are introducing Māori wards for the first time in 2022:

• Far North District Council
• Gisborne District Council
• Hamilton City Council
• Hastings District Council
• Hawke’s Bay Regional council
• Horowhenua District Council
• Kaipara District Council
• Manawatu District Council
• Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council
• Marlborough District Council
• Masterton District Council
• Matamata-Piako District Council
• Nelson City Council
• New Plymouth District Council
• Northland Regional Council
• Ōtorohanga District Council
• Palmerston North City Council
• Porirua City Council
• Rangitikei District Council
• Rotorua District Council
• Ruapehu District Council
• South Taranaki District Council
• Stratford District Council
• Taranaki Regional Council
• Tararua District Council
• Taupo District Council
• Tauranga City Council
• Waikato District Council
• Waipa District Council
• Wellington City Council
• Whakatane District Council
• Whangarei District Council.

Māori wards in Tāmaki Makaurau

It's possible that by the next local elections in 2025, we will have Māori wards in Tāmaki Makaurau.

As it is up to each local government to decide how they want to introduce Māori wards, it is important that Auckland Council makes sure that it hears all voices on this significant matter.

If you have any thoughts on this opportunity, make sure that you follow any news or updates on OurAuckland and share your thoughts when consultation occurs.

Māori representation in Tāmaki Makaurau

At Auckland Council, Māori are represented through the Independent Māori Statutory Board, committees of the Governing Body, the Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum and many more co-governance entities which manage specific sites or resources.

See more information about Māori representation in Auckland.