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Far North electors will know in a couple of hours whether their district council will establish Maori wards for the 2016 local government elections.
The voting has just closed in a poll pushed by Mayor John Carter over the opposition of iwi.
Mr Carter says the Council is committed to working more closely with Maori, but it doesn’t have a view on the question of dedicated Maori wards.
Iwi expect the binding poll will be lost, meaning the question can't be considered again for another six years.
The council says if the referendum is lost it will seek feedback from Maori about non-electoral engagement options, such as appointed advisory boards or representation on standing committees of council.
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