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Guaranteed Māori seats on New Zealand councils to be slashed by more than half

Guaranteed Māori seats on New Zealand councils to be slashed by more than half

Controversial law change that forced councils to put the fate of Māori wards to a public vote saw 25 vote to disestablish the guaranteed seats The number of guaranteed seats for Māori representatives on New Zealand councils will be slashed by more than half, following a controversial law change that forced local governments to put the fate of hard-won Māori seats to a public vote. Māori wards, which may have one or more councillors depending on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to vote for a guaranteed Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils could only establish a Māori ward by first putting it to a public vote in their area. Communities often spent years generating local support and pushing their councils to create Māori wards. Continue reading...

Influencers’ ‘worst’ Auckland train ride: AT defends delays for ‘once-in-a-generation’ upgrade works

Influencers’ ‘worst’ Auckland train ride: AT defends delays for ‘once-in-a-generation’ upgrade works

Auckland Transport has set the record straight after an influencer couple described their public transport journey from Auckland Airport to Waitematā (Britomart) Station as the “worst” they’ve encountered while travelling. Sagar and Ami, self-described “fulltime budget travellers”, recently returned to New Zealand to film content for their Instagram. They are currently traversing the country in a van, documenting their experiences with their 17,000 followers. In a video posted on September 22, the couple said that after spending 15 months away in more than two dozen countries, they “didn’t think anything could surprise” them. “But Auckland trains? Oh, they delivered.” Sagar and Ami paid $10 for a one-way trip, which they claimed took one hour “on a good day” and had a top speed of 5km/h. They alleged “random cancellations” and “no warnings” were a “bonus feature” and said the drive time was only 24 minutes – less than half that of the public transport journey. “If you’ve ever survived Auckland public transport ... respect. You deserve a medal,” they wrote. “We’ve travelled to 26 countries ... But this is the worst public transport.” The video continues to gain traction, garnering more than 563,000 views and nearly 12,000 likes while attracting hundreds of comments from Kiwis. Most agreed with the influencers’ assertions, citing under-investment in the network and a lack of options for commuters. Stacey van der Putten, Auckland Transport’s director of public transport and active modes, told the Herald there were delays through September and October because of rail infrastructure maintenance and upgrades. Auckland Transport says the rail network faced disruptions through September and October because of maintenance and upgrade projects. Photo / Jason Oxenham Although these were completed last week, they caused “minor disruptions to the network when Sagar and Ami were travelling”. “These works were communicated weeks in advance by KiwiRail and AT [Auckland Transport], with comprehensive customer information included on the AT website and in the AT Mobile App.” The couple’s journey took place in the “middle of a once-in-a-generation upgrade as AT, KiwiRail and City Rail Link [CRL] crews work around the clock to get the network ready for CRL opening in 2026, which will provide a better, faster service bringing Auckland in line with other international cities″, van der Putten said. Because of the disruptions, Sagar and Ami had to take the Southern line to its current terminus at Waitematā from Homai Station, near Manurewa. “This train trip would normally take about 45 minutes, but during the September/October school holidays, passengers needed to transfer to a rail replacement bus for stations south of Puhinui Station,” van der Putten said. AT’s records showed trains were travelling along the Southern line at regular speeds, “averaging up to 65km/h between stops”, disproving the couple’s claims that the top speed was 5km/h. Meanwhile, the cancellations shown on their phone were for a separate train line to theirs – the Onehunga line – and were “due to a track infrastructure issue that KiwiRail crews worked to promptly fix”, Van der Putten added. “They also unfortunately missed an opportunity to save money by using a credit card, debit card or AT Hop card at the station gates, which would have brought their adult fares down from $10 to $7.65.” All four lines – Southern, Eastern, Western and Onehunga – are scheduled for partial closures this weekend, with the network fully closed over Labour Weekend for further works. The CRL is expected to open in 2026, although an exact date is yet to be confirmed. Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.