Nelson fears Maori seat backlash

Photo: Nelson City Council Facebook.

Nelson City Council will today consider options for Māori representation, including advice that local iwi were against setting up a Māori ward.

The Nelson Mail reports a staff report on an iwi-council partnership group meeting in June says iwi did not want to see a repeat of the high level of negative response from the community when the proposal was last discussed in 2011 and 2012.

At that time the council was forced into a referendum on its decision to create a Māori seat, with 79 percent of the public voting against.

Iwi does support increasing Māori representation through appointments to committees and other partnership mechanisms.

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