“Elected members and council officers present at the hearing acknowledge the mamae (hurt) and disappointment expressed by these iwi at the current lack of Māori representation,” the report reads. It says “due to the significance the council places on its relationship” with Māori in its district, elected members have been given the final opportunity to review their decision. Last August, Stratford councillors unanimously decided to put off making a decision on Māori ward until 2024. In March, after the Government changed the law that allowed the community to force a binding referendum on any Māori ward decision, mayor Neil Volzke brought the discussion back to the table.