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What advice, if any, has the Minister received on whether the removal of voting rights from non-elected committee members affects councils' ability to fulfil their obligations under section 81 of the Local Government Act 2002 to provide opportunities for Māori to contribute to local authority decision-making processes?

Answered Question 29898 (2026)
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Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

  • What advice, if any, has the Minister received on whether the removal of voting rights from non-elected committee members affects councils' ability to fulfil their obligations under section 81 of the Local Government Act 2002 to provide opportunities for Māori to contribute to local authority decision-making processes?

Answered by

Hon Simon Watts

Member for North Shore · National Party · Minister of Local Government

Answer

As Minister of Local Government, I received the following advice relating to the impact of the proposal to remove voting rights from non-democratically elected members on section 81 obligations in the Local Government Act 2002: • Briefing: Voting powers of local authority committee members, 22 April 2026 • Briefing: Final Cabinet paper for lodging: Local authority committees, 20 May 2026