Tēnā koutou katoa!
Ko Tainui te waka,
Ko Whitireia te maunga,
Ko Raukawa te moana,
Ko Takapūwāhia rāua ko Hongoeka ngā marae,
Ko Ngāti Toarangatira rātou ko Kāi Tahu, ko Ngāti Pāhauwera, ko Ngāpuhi ngā iwi,
Ko Te Rauparaha te tupuna ariki,
Ko Nīkau Wi Neera tōku ingoa.
Kia ora mai, e te whānau o Te Whanganui-a-Tara! My name is Nīkau Wi Neera. I'm an activist, composer, and taonga puoro practitioner, and for the past twenty-two years I've been proud to call Wellington my home. I hail from local mana whenua, Ngāti Toarangatira, and I also whakapapa to Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Pāhauwera, and Ngāpuhi.
I love and believe in our capital city, and that's why I'm standing for the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward in this year's local elections.
My top priority for this election is ambitious, yet simple: returning land and assets in our city to tāngata whenua.
Between Ngāti Toa, Te Atiawa, and Taranaki Whānui, these lands were once a rich, thriving tapestry of whānau peacefully and sustainably sharing the lands we now take for granted. Iwi have always had the desire, ability, and responsibility to govern. It is my intention to return this responsibility, and fundamentally reform the way our city council relates to its mana whenua.
Whilst my top priority is hoki whenua mai, I am also committed to:
Housing | Kura Kāinga
- Increasing supply of social housing, operated collaboratively with mana whenua.
- Growing a compact city, with green spaces and denser, more affordable housing.
- Building accessible public amenities.
Our Environment | Te Taiao
- Re-indigenising our local flora by priotising native planting and letting iwi lead revitalisation efforts.
- Eliminating the flow of wastewater into Wellington harbour and marine reserves.
- Working with tāngata whenua to create a plan towards Māori water sovereignty in our city.
Transportation | Waka Pāpori
- Delivering on Let's Get Wellington Moving.
- Increasing walkability and cycle-friendly streets.
- A car-free Golden Mile in our city centre.
Safety | Marutau
- Delivering on and expanding the Pōneke Promise.
- Indigenising our public spaces in the city centre.
- Funding community policing alternatives such as crisis centres, community-, and iwi-led initiatives to intervene before our rangatahi enter the justice system.
Finally, I ackowledge the former custodians of the whenua that is now Wellington, and will ensure a space at the table for the descendants of Ngāti Ira, Rangitāne, and Muaūpoko, under whose mana this whenua long stood.
As representative for Te Whanganui-a-Tara, I will work tirelessly to represent all Māori living within our city, ensuring that wherever in the motu they may come from, all of our people will find a home in Wellington.