Māori Ward Poll

The local elections are conducted by postal vote. You will receive your voting papers that will include the poll question in the voting pack mailed to your address.

Check or update your enrolment details.

To be eligible to stand for election, a candidate must be:

• 18+
• a New Zealand citizen (by birth or citizenship ceremony)
• enrolled as a Parliamentary elector (anywhere in New Zealand)
• nominated by two electors whose names appear on the Māori Roll in Waipā.

Only electors on the Māori Roll can vote for candidates standing for Māori Ward seats.

If you are on the General Roll, you will vote in Cambridge Ward, the Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Ward, the Pirongia and Kakepuku Ward, or the Maungatautari Ward (depending on where you live).

Everyone enrolled (General Roll or Māori Roll) gets to vote for the Mayor.

The Māori Ward Councillor will represent the whole district, including all Māori.

Legislation was updated in July 2024 by Central Government mandating changes to Māori Wards, and under the legislation our Council had two options:

1. Disestablish the Māori Ward ahead of the 2025 local elections.
2. Retain the Māori Ward for 2025 and hold a binding poll alongside the 2025 election with the outcome to come into effect for the 2028 election.

Council made their decision to retain the Māori Ward and hold a binding poll alongside the 2025 local government elections, reaffirming its commitment to Māori representation.

Following a recent law change, any council (city, district or region) that established Māori Wards or Māori constituencies since 2020 without holding a poll, is required to hold a poll with their 2025 local elections. The 2021 consultation held with the Waipā community did not include a binding poll.

This outcome of the poll is binding and will apply for the next two elections (2028 and 2031). No matter what the outcome of the poll, Waipā will have a Maori Ward for the 2025-28 term.

• 2001 – the Local Electoral Act allows councils to establish Māori Wards subject to a condition that five percent of the enrolled population can demand a poll to be held to determine the status of the Māori Wards (‘poll provision’). 
• 2021 – Central Government removes the ‘poll provision’ from electoral legislation.
• March 2021 - Waipā District Council decides to consult with its community over the establishment of a Māori Ward for the 2022 elections
• April 2021 - Community consultation held, with 879 submissions over a four-week period. Of those, 84 percent support a Waipā Māori Ward with 16 percent against.
• May 2021 - Waipā decides to establish its first Māori Ward for the 2022 and 2025 elections.
• 2022 Election – Waipā’s first Māori Ward councillor is elected to Council. 
• July 2024 – Central Government reinstates the ‘poll provision’ into electoral legislation and requires councils to decide to disestablish the Māori Ward or retain it and have the voters decide whether to keep or remove it at the 2028 election.
• August 2024 - Waipā District Council decides to retain its Māori Ward and hold a poll at the 2025 local elections.