Local government should be accountable to the people. Yet across the country, councils are giving unelected appointees voting rights - the same as elected councillors - on committees that determine policy and how our rates are spent.
In some cases, both Māori ward councillors and unelected iwi appointees are sitting around the council’s decision-making table.
These appointees never face the voters, but their decisions directly affect the community. That undermines the very foundation of democracy: decision-making power should belong only to those chosen at the ballot box.
Many councils across New Zealand have adopted this practice, including: Rotorua Lakes Council, Napier City Council, Clutha District Council, Kāpiti Coast District Council, Marlborough District Council, Auckland City Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Waitaki District Council, Far North District Council, Waipa District Council, Hastings District Council, Tauranga City Council, Queenstown Lake District Council, Wellington City Council, Hamilton City Council, Nelson City Council, and Taranaki Regional Council and the pioneer of this practice – the West Coast Regional Council.
Note: This list is not exhaustive.
In Auckland, the Independent Māori Statutory Board (now called Houkura) was created in 2010 under the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009. The law provides for Houkura to appoint two members, with voting rights, to any council committee responsible for managing natural and physical resources. In practice, however, Houkura representatives now sit on most council committees—11 in total.
Communities deserve better. Anyone with a vote at the council table should stand in an election and make their case to voters like anyone else.
Example references
Queenstown Lake District Council - request for official information – release of information: https://www.qldc.govt.nz/media/moeiqn01/committee-structure_redacted_sent-27-january.pdf
Hastings District Council news: https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/our-council/news/article/3240/hastings-youth-councillors-gain-right-to-vote-on-council-committees
Our Nelson: https://our.nelson.govt.nz/stories/council-welcomes-maori-appointments-to-committees/
RNZ: Mana whenua gain full voting rights on Wellington City Council: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/440058/mana-whenua-gain-full-voting-rights-on-wellington-city-council
Hamilton City Council reaffirms Maaori representation: https://hamilton.govt.nz/your-council/news/community-environment/hamilton-city-council-bolsters-maaori-representation