Northland Regional Council (NRC) is set to decide the fate of its Māori Wards in its council meeting today, which you can live stream below.
It is one of three councils deciding whether to abolish its Māori wards in next year’s local elections or hold a referendum next year - Hastings District Council and Horizons Regional Council are the others.
Hastings District Council’s live stream is below.
In May, NRC announced it would oppose changes for Māori seats and collaborated on its submission before the amendment was introduced with Te Tai Tokerau Māori and Council (TTTMC).
It is one of eleven regional councils in the country, only four of which are required to hold a vote on the future of its Māori wards under amendments made to the Local Government Act by the coalition government.
The first council to abolish its Māori ward under the coalition government’s amended legislation was Kaipara District Council (KDC) in Northland.