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Scoop
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Calling The Voices Of Tairāwhiti To Enrol, Stand And Vote
Tō Reo, Tō Mana, Your Voice, Your Power – is the call to action from the Gisborne District Council to encourage the people of Tairāwhiti to participate in this year's local body elections and referendum this October. Council Chief Executive Nedine Thatcher-Swann says now is the time for people to check they're enrolled and their contact details are up to date — especially for those thinking about standing for Council or wanting to make sure their vote, and their voice, counts. 'Elected members play a vital role in our communities. They uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and make decisions that impact our local services, rules, investment and plans for the future of our region,' she says. 'Standing for Council is about stepping up to represent your whānau, community and values. Bringing their voices and ideas forward to make important decisions for the future of our community over the next three years.' 'You don't need any special qualifications. Strong communication, leadership, and decision-making skills are helpful, as is being open-minded, respectful and having a genuine commitment to your community.' 'It's also essential that we see more of our community exercising their right to vote when papers are posted out in September,' says Ms Thatcher Swann. "In 2022, only 43% of those enrolled in Tairāwhiti voted, with Māori and young people notably under-represented. This year, we're rolling out an impactful campaign ahead of election day to inspire more people totake action." This year people must also decide the future of Māori Wards for Tairāwhiti in a referendum. 'A decision to keep or remove Māori Wards will determine how our community is represented in the future.' Anyone considering standing for the 2025 elections will need to choose whether to run in the Māori Ward (5 seats), the General Ward (8 seats), or for Mayor (1). To help potential candidates understand what's involved in being an elected member, Council is hosting a series of Candidate Information Evenings during June and July. These events are an opportunity to learn more about what it means to become an elected member, the requirements for the role, including time commitments, responsibilities, and the rules around campaigning. 'These are relaxed and informative evenings where you can ask questions and get a real feel for what's involved in becoming an elected member,' says Ms Thatcher-Swann. 'Whether you're passionate about infrastructure, housing, the environment, or local development, standing for Council is an opportunity to represent your community and influence the future of Te Tairāwhiti.' Thinking about standing for Council? To be eligible, you must be a New Zealand citizen, aged 18 or over, and enrolled on the parliamentary electoral roll. You'll need to complete a nomination form, have it signed by two people enrolled in the ward that you're standing in, and pay a $200 deposit. Nominations open Friday 4 July and close at 12 noon on Friday 1 August. Nomination forms will be available from Council offices and on the Council website. Late nominations will not be accepted. For more information about how to stand, candidate requirements, and upcoming information evenings, visit
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
‘Forgotten their roots': Te Matatini risks alienating regions
Te Tauihu kapa haka team Te Kuru Marutea secured the People's Choice award in Taranaki in 2025, but won't be able to perform at home in 2027. Photo: Supplied/Te Matatini Te Matatini risks alienating the regions with its decision not to host the 2027 event in Te Tauhihu, Whakatū Nelson's Māori Ward councillor has warned. It was announced on Monday that the next national kapa haka competition will not be hosted in the Top of the South , as had been planned since 2013. Society heamana (chair) Tā Herewini Parata said the decision was not a reflection on Te Tauihu (the Top of the South Island). "As the festival continues to grow in size and significance, the planning and delivery of Te Matatini must reflect that scale," he said. "While this decision is heartbreaking for many, we have had to be realistic and seriously re-evaluate the risks of holding Te Matatini in its current format in our smaller regions." The festival had seen "unprecedented growth" and despite Te Tauihu working hard to find solutions, Parata said concerns remained, particularly around accommodation and transport - about 70,000 people attended the 2025 event in Taranaki. Te Matatini was now inviting expressions of interest for hosting the 2027 event. Nelson's Māori Ward councillor said the news was "outrageously disappointing". "We had quite a few options on the table that we've got plenty of time to be able to deliver on those, but… they're not interested in trying to keep Te Matatini connected to the regions," Kahu Paki Paki said. Nelson Whakatū Māori Ward councillor Kahu Paki Paki says the decision to pull out of Te Tauihu risks alienating other regions around the motu. Photo: Andrew Board/Nelson Weekly "They run the risk, a very serious risk, of isolating some of the regions that won't even get a chance to host." He acknowledged that there were some "challenges" in hosting Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua, the national secondary schools' kapa haka festival, in 2024 but they had provided "good learning lessons" for local organisers and ultimately the event was a "great success". Kapa haka was community-focused and community-building, and so the prospect of iwi and hapū around the motu missing out on hosting Te Matatini in favour of the main centres was "really sad", Paki Paki said. "If Taranaki could do it, and they did it really well, there's no reason why we couldn't have done it just as well… they have forgotten their roots, they've walked away from the regions. It's a real shame." Parata was not able to respond in time for publication, but on Tuesday morning he told Waatea News that he acknowledged that the decision was "disappointing" for Te Tauihu. "There's over a million people in New Zealand that have got an opinion on Te Matatini - and their opinions are all right - however it's the board's decision to make," he said. But he added that there was still "a lot of goodwill" for the regions. "Maybe, I can't say outright, we need to look at the whole festival and ways of hosting Te Matatini in the smaller rohe." That could include potentially reducing the number of kapa haka groups that participate down from the current 55 so areas like Te Tauihu could host the festival in the "near future". Nelson and Tasman's mayors are also disappointed in the decision, but understood the capacity concerns from Te Matatini. Tasman Mayor Tim King said even though the two youth kapa haka events Te Tauihu previously hosted were "very successful", there were still challenges with many people travelling daily between Nelson and Marlborough. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the benefits of hosting Te Matatini outweighed the costs for the council, and that the organisation had supported hosting the event locally "at every step". Both hoped Te Tauihu would be able to host the event in the future and would be keen to see the return of the youth competitions again. "We… are keen for this uniquely New Zealand art to still be very welcome in the city and region," Smith said. Sonny Alesana, chair of the local Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Cultural Council. Photo: Supplied Sonny Alesana, heamana (chair) of the local Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Cultural Council, was hopeful the region could have the opportunity to host again sometime in the future. "We are disappointed, but we also understand the pressure Te Matatini is under, both in terms of its growth and the financial implications of that," he said. "We are committed to continuing to work with Te Matatini to ensure Te Tauihu does have its time in the sun and that smaller regions are not automatically disqualified from hosting." Alexander Siebentritt, president of Hospitality NZ's Nelson branch said hosting Te Matatini would have had "very positive effects" for the local economy - the 2023 event in Tāmaki Makarau Auckland generated more than $26 million. "We just simply have to carry on and focus on how we can find alternatives to fill these gaps." He said the region was "fantastic" and able to cater to large events. "This is a great opportunity for another great event to be hosted in our region, if there's anyone out there, I've just heard some dates in February 2027, became available." Concerns about the region's ability to host the event in 2027 were thrown into the spotlight in March when Te Mauri o Te Matatini was not passed from Taranaki representatives to Te Tauihu. Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
RNZ News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Council calls on Māori candidates to stand in local election
Whanganui District Council. Photo: LDR / Moana Ellis The Whanganui District Council is organising a candidate information evening with a Māori focus ahead of local body elections later this year. The 2025 election will be the first where Whanganui voters have the option of voting in a Māori ward. Special guests Dinnie Moeahu (New Plymouth District Councillor, elected at large) and Bridget Bell (Māori ward councillor at the Manawatū District Council) will share insights about their journey into local government. Both were also members of Te Maruata - the Local Government New Zealand network supporting Māori elected members. The Māori focused candidate information would take place at 5.15pm on Friday, 16 May at Te Ao Hou Marae. Deputy electoral officer and democracy services manager, Anna Palamountain, said the evening would be an opportunity for people from all backgrounds to find out what was involved in standing in the upcoming council election, but would also have a strong focus on Māori participation. Whanganui would have two Māori ward councillor positions for the one ward up for grab at these elections. Palamountain said the event would be a chance for people to gain insights into the reality of being a councillor and an understanding of the rules surrounding standing for election. "Nominations open on 4 July and close at 12 noon on 1 August. So, if you haven't already, now is the time to be thinking about standing up and representing your community as a councillor - or shoulder-tapping others who you think would be well-suited for the role." Palamountain said it was a unique election year for Whanganui. "So even if you're not personally planning to run for council, it will be a great chance to learn how Whanganui's new Māori ward will work." Māori wards for councils were similar to Māori electorates in Parliament. Māori roll voters elected Māori ward councillors, and general roll voters elected general ward councillors. However, regardless of whether you were on the Māori roll or General roll, everyone voted for the mayor. In Whanganui, there would be one Māori Ward with two councillors elected (alongside 10 general ward councillors). Chief executive, David Langford, said just like general ward councillors, Māori ward councillors would represent the whole community - taking an oath to serve all residents and ratepayers. "The idea behind having a Māori ward is to increase Māori representation at local government level - as despite making up nearly a quarter of our district's population, people of Māori descent have historically been under-represented in Whanganui in terms of elected members." Langford said the candidate information evening would also touch on the Māori ward referendum, which was being conducted as part of the 2025 local elections. "At the same time as they vote for councillors and mayor, voters will be asked whether they support the continuation of a Māori ward in our District or not. "This is a central government-imposed referendum that could cost ratepayers up to $45,000. When Whanganui District Council decided to introduce Māori wards in October last year, 53 percent of submissions from the community were in support of Māori wards." There would be another Prospective Candidate Information event held at the War Memorial Hall on Monday, 16 June covering the election more broadly. For more information about Whanganui's 2025 local elections, visit Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
