Protesters have disrupted a meeting to decide the fate of Kaipara District Council's Māori ward.
Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua has this morning filed judicial review proceedings against the district council's potential canning of its Māori ward.
A protester stepped through the council meeting room's doors, opened by Māori ward councillor Pera Paniora, as her haka drowned out the meeting where Democracy Northland's Frank Newman was addressing the meeting.
People in Kaipara ahead of a Kaipara District Council meeting where the future of its its Māori Ward was to be discussed (Source: 1News)
Mayor Craig Jepson adjourned the meeting, just half an hour after it began.
Police removed the protester doing the haka from the doorway of the meeting.
Blinds covering the meeting venue windows and glass doors that had been raised by Paniora were then pulled down again. The meeting was resumed at about 10.05am, with protesters singing outside while it continued.
Jepson later issued a warning to Paniora, saying if she continued to operate in a disorderly way on the meeting she would be removed.
Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson says better ambulance funding is required. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)
Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua trustee Deb Nathan said court proceedings had been filed because there had not been adequate time allowed for consultation with mana whenua over the council potentially getting rid of its Māori ward.
Māori leader calls for Kaipara mayor’s resignation over Māori ward move
The council will potentially be the first council in the country to get rid of Māori wards under legislation passed last week.
Tuesday 2:04pm
Kaipara council poised to become first to scrap Māori ward
The new law allows councils to get rid of their Māori wards before the next local elections – without a poll of their voters – or keep them but have to poll their voters.
Sat, Aug 3
Legal proceedings filed against Kaipara council before Māori ward vote
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua is seeking a judicial review and warning it will file an injunction if the council proceeds with disestablishing the ward.
9:10am
More than 200 protesters were this morning outside the council's extraordinary meeting in Mangawhai, as it got underway and headed towards making a decision.
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