ODT Wednesday, 3 June 2026

Limiting voting rights ‘slap in the face’ for iwi

By Ruby Shaw and Matthew Littlewood

Edward Ellison. PHOTO: ODT FILES

Limiting voting rights on council committees to elected members has been described as a ‘‘slap in the face’’ for local iwi.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts announced the changes yesterday, which he said would address concerns about individuals ‘‘undermining decision-making and diluting the influence of democratically elected members’’.

The move was well-received by some local councillors, while others described it as an unwelcome surprise announced without consulting councils.

Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou upoko Edward Ellison has been a representative on several Otago Regional Council committees and said Mr Watts’ announcement came as a ‘‘bombshell’’ to him.

‘‘I think it’s a slap in the face.

‘‘I mean, the committees are there to do work, provide advice back to council on their work. And, I mean, if it’s targeting iwi particularly, then that seems to be fairly pointed.’’

Mr Ellison said having iwi representatives on council committees had greatly improved the dialogue and cultural knowledge on both sides.

‘‘As we’ve gone forward under this framework, since the RMA came in, I think councils have engaged better, improved their involvement, transparency, participation, and presumably outcomes with their communities.’’

The connection between councils and iwi could be threatened by such a proposal.

Regional council chairwoman Hillary Calvert said, in her view, the proposal ‘‘supports democratic principles that people who have not been elected by the people should not be able to vote’’.

Sophie Barker. PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIEN

However, Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said she believed the announcement went ‘‘against three principles of the spirit of the Treaty of Waitangi… partnership, protection and participation.

‘‘I treasure our relationships and partnerships with mana whenua and am gobsmacked at this announcement.’’

The government had not consulted councils on the change, which would affect the Dunedin City Council’s model for working with mana whenua.

This included the mana-to-mana committee Te Pae Māori and roles on the Finance and Performance and Policy and Planning committees.

‘‘These committee roles make valuable contributions to our work with our runaka partners, and makes a place to share their voice at our council table and work on projects together,’’ Ms Barker said.

She said the announcement would also affect other council groups with external representatives, including the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee, which has an external chair and deputy chair, grants subcommittee and probably the council’s Heritage Fund.

Andrew Simms. PHOTO: ODT FILES

During last year’s election, Cr Andrew Simms had suggested non-elected representatives should not vote on committees.

However, yesterday he said he had come to see the value of ‘‘external experts’’ sitting at the table, particularly in his role as grants subcommittee chairman.

At a glance, Cr Simms said the announcement had some practical issues and it was unclear how they would be resolved.

‘‘For instance, an independent chair of audit and risk is an essential function,’’ he said.

Lee Vandervis. PHOTO: ODT FILES

Cr Lee Vandervis said he had always opposed unelected voting rights.

‘‘Giving voting rights on council committees to members of elites who have not been voted to represent the public at large has been an expensive mistake for most people in my experience.’’

Cr Christine Garey was ‘‘outraged’’ by the announcement, which she said the government had ‘‘sneaked through’’.

‘‘We’ve worked so hard to include mana whenua, to develop a relationship, a partnership, and this happens — it’s just shocking.’’

The changes will be included in the Local Government (System Improvements) Bill before Parliament.

Under the changes, councils could still appoint non-elected members to offer professional advice and represent communities but the appointments will not come with voting rights or count towards a quorum.

If passed, councils will have six months to review their delegations and appointments before the law change takes effect.

ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz