ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
Calls for multicultural representation were again raised on a new Auckland Super City proposal at a public meeting in Papatoetoe last night.
More than 70 locals gathered at the Papatoetoe Cosmopolitan Club to meet and discuss Super City concerns with National’s Manukau East MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and John Carter, Associate Minister for Local Government.
Veer Khar, general secretary of the New Zealand Indian Central Indian Association, kicked off questions from the audience by saying that while they backed the Super City, a greater representation of the diversity of the population must be reflected in the composition of the new council.
Mr Khar said the association backed calls for Maori seats on the super council, and also called for other community groups to be represented.
“New Zealand is no longer made up of just one or two ethnic groups, and every group deserves some form of representation.”
He also raised concerns about being represented on the new council by the same people who were currently running the councils in Auckland. “Fresh faces were needed,” he said. Mr Khar’s plea was backed by the Manukau Indian Association, which also asked for greater Pacific Island and Asian voice on the new council.
Various other speakers voiced their concerns about increased costs in terms of higher rates, a downgrade in the delivery of services with a smaller council, transport issues, boundary concerns, weakening of the community boards, etc.
Mr Carter told the meeting that the issue of more Maori seats was “on the table” and that a parliamentary select committee would be visiting the communities to discuss the concerns. This follows a recent hikoi which called for compulsory Maori seats in council.
He said now was the time for the people to have their voices heard through submissions which could be made to the various committees set up to garner public views. If you want your voices to be heard, then make a submission, he said.
Mr Carter said to make a submission, people should write to the Clerk to the House at Parliament in Wellington by June 26. More meetings have been planned in Auckland.
Mr Bakshi said he was pleased with the turnout despite it being a wet and cold night.
Greater Auckland current comprises Auckland City, Waitakere City, North Shore City, Manukau City, Papakura District Council, Rodney District Council and Franklin District Council.
Calls for multicultural representation were again raised on a new Auckland Super City proposal at a public meeting in Papatoetoe last night.
More than 70 locals gathered at the Papatoetoe Cosmopolitan Club to meet and discuss Super City concerns with National’s Manukau East MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi...
Calls for multicultural representation were again raised on a new Auckland Super City proposal at a public meeting in Papatoetoe last night.
More than 70 locals gathered at the Papatoetoe Cosmopolitan Club to meet and discuss Super City concerns with National’s Manukau East MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and John Carter, Associate Minister for Local Government.
Veer Khar, general secretary of the New Zealand Indian Central Indian Association, kicked off questions from the audience by saying that while they backed the Super City, a greater representation of the diversity of the population must be reflected in the composition of the new council.
Mr Khar said the association backed calls for Maori seats on the super council, and also called for other community groups to be represented.
“New Zealand is no longer made up of just one or two ethnic groups, and every group deserves some form of representation.”
He also raised concerns about being represented on the new council by the same people who were currently running the councils in Auckland. “Fresh faces were needed,” he said. Mr Khar’s plea was backed by the Manukau Indian Association, which also asked for greater Pacific Island and Asian voice on the new council.
Various other speakers voiced their concerns about increased costs in terms of higher rates, a downgrade in the delivery of services with a smaller council, transport issues, boundary concerns, weakening of the community boards, etc.
Mr Carter told the meeting that the issue of more Maori seats was “on the table” and that a parliamentary select committee would be visiting the communities to discuss the concerns. This follows a recent hikoi which called for compulsory Maori seats in council.
He said now was the time for the people to have their voices heard through submissions which could be made to the various committees set up to garner public views. If you want your voices to be heard, then make a submission, he said.
Mr Carter said to make a submission, people should write to the Clerk to the House at Parliament in Wellington by June 26. More meetings have been planned in Auckland.
Mr Bakshi said he was pleased with the turnout despite it being a wet and cold night.
Greater Auckland current comprises Auckland City, Waitakere City, North Shore City, Manukau City, Papakura District Council, Rodney District Council and Franklin District Council.
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