Maori seats for Super Auckland

Super Auckland is to have seats on its council received for Maori, the Royal Commission recommends.

Voters on existing Maori rolls will get to elect two of the 23 councillors on the new super council.

"The entitlement to vote for the two Maori members will be in place of the entitlement that would otherwise exist to vote for ward representatives to the Auckland Council," the report says.

Auckland iwi will get to sit on a Mana Whenua Forum which will also elect another councillor.

The Forum will advise the council on "issues of relevance to mana whenua."

Other ethnic minorities have been consigned to the smaller local councils which are told to use their "local knowledge" to determine the best way of engaging with ethnic and other groups.

Super Auckland will also have to appoint a Pacific Advisory Panel and an Ethnic Advisory Panel. It doesn't say what they will do.

- © Fairfax NZ News