Masterton’s newest Māori ward councillor is ready for her role, including being prepared to disrupt, when necessary.
Elected to Masterton council last month, Waireka Collings spoke to Local Democracy Reporting about her first impressions of, and hopes for, the new job.
“Coming in as the Māori ward councillor, I feel a lot of responsibility to deliver on our people’s expectations.
“I’m on a steep learning curve,” she said.
As the founder of the Puāwai Pūrau STEMM Academy, president of the Māori Womens Welfare League, a foundational rugby player for Wairarapa Wahine Toa and mother of 5 tamariki, Collings brings a wealth of experience to the council table.
She said while she was thrilled to have been elected, another election outcome was more important.
“The most important result, and the one I got most excited about was that we retained our Māori ward,” she said.
Masterton kept its Māori ward by a margin of more than 500 votes.
“It was a kind of temperature test for Masterton, and Wairarapa too,” she said, referring to the successful outcome in South Wairarapa.
“How do you feel about Kaupapa Māori and how do you feel about that seat on council? It reaffirmed to everybody that we live in a place that supports Māoritanga.”
She said the Māori ward referenda were a key decision point in the recent elections.
“When we were getting results, this was one of the most prominent issues across the nation; who kept their ward and who didn’t keep their ward.
“For Māori especially, when we saw that others didn’t keep their Māori ward it was heartbreaking. On the flipside we were very happy to keep our Māori ward.”
She said winning the council seat felt good.
“I feel very prepared for this place,” she said, saying her work and educational background would help her contribute.
“This has prepared me to be able to challenge, and potentially to disrupt some of the things that might have eventuated if I had not been there.”
She has facilitated Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshops across the education sector.
“Education has been massive for me,” she said.
She is also ready to address issues.
“Acknowledging there are problems, inequities I suppose, that exist - and being the solution,” she said.
“We all know there are problems in the world.”
Collings said there was a lot to learn in the new job.
“Prior to coming into council I only had a preconceived idea of what council actually did. Now that I’m in there, the reality is setting in.”
She thought there was scope to improve communication between council and the community, by for example using more or different platforms.
“My community does not understand you, and does not even know who you are,” she said.
“I think our two worlds are very separate. So trying to get more understanding and cohesion between those two worlds is important,” she said.
“I want the council to be more accessible to Māori. I want them to relate to Māori, and I want them to be seen by Māori. I want them to be genuinely requesting information from and sitting down with Māori. I want the council doors to be open.”
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
