Tauranga’s Māori ward councillor Hemi Rolleston plans to prove to the community that having a Māori ward is a “good thing”.

Rolleston was sworn into his Te Awanui ward seat on Thursday after a pōwhiri at Hangarau Marae in Bethlehem.

He won the recent Māori ward byelection with 543 votes, taking up the seat his nephew Mikaere Sydney was unable to fill.

The byelection was triggered after Sydney resigned from his position in January.

Sydney was elected to the council in July 2024 but was unable to take up his position due to illness.

Sydney was one of many of Rolleston’s whanau and friends at the pōwhiri. More than 100 people attended.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale, Mikaere Sydney, Hauata Palmer and Hemi Rolleston at the pōwhiri on Hangarau Marae. Photo / Alisha Evans

Rolleston said he had come full circle being a councillor because he previously held leadership roles at Tauranga City Council.

The 56-year-old, who has whakapapa to Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Whakaue and Te Arawa, lives in Matapihi.

Rolleston said he brought energy, connectivity, passion and authenticity to the table.

There were “big challenges” around retaining the Māori ward, he said.

“My job is to do a good job, to prove to both our Māori community and our wider Tauranga community that it’s a good thing. If I do that, I believe the rest will take care of itself.

“Some brave decisions were made to create this seat, against a lot of resistance and those decisions will continue to have to be made.”

Mayor Mahé Drysdale and Hemi Rolleston as Rolleston read his councillor's oath. Photo / Alisha Evans

Mayor Mahé Drysdale congratulated Rolleston on his win.

Establishing the Te Awanui ward in Tauranga in 2020 was a milestone for the city, he said.

“The Māori ward was created to provide a dedicated voice for Māori electors and to reflect their community interests within the council’s decision-making processes.”

In becoming a councillor Rolleston was committing himself to make good decisions on behalf of the whole community, Drysdale said.

“Decisions that will help achieve our vision that Tauranga becomes the best city in New Zealand.”

Ngati Hangarau kaumatua Tawharangi Nuku welcoming guests to the Hangarau Marae. Photo / Alisha Evans

Drysdale also acknowledged Sydney and said it was great to have him at the pōwhiri and see he was improving quickly.

Speaking after the meeting, Rolleston said the powhiri at his marae was humbling and uplifting.

“It fills me with so much pride and so much passion to make a positive difference for this moana.

“I know there’s lots of hard work in front of me but I’m excited and I’m up for the challenge.”

Asked if he had any goals as a councillor, Rolleston said he didn’t enter the election with any promises other than to work hard, listen and bring the community with him.

“I come here to work hard, build strong relationships around the table, and make a positive difference for this beautiful city, Tauranga, that we’re all proud to be part of.

“If it’s good for Māori, it’s good for Tauranga. And if we do good things in Tauranga, they’ll be good for Māori as well.”

Tauranga City Council has a full team of 10 councillors with Te Awanui ward councillor Hemi Rolleston taking his seat. Photo / Alisha Evans

Drysdale told Local Democracy Reporting it was very exciting to have a full team of councillors.

The council hoped Sydney could have joined them but seeing him at the powhiri was “pretty emotional”, Drysdale said.

The biggest challenge for Rolleston was he had to hit the ground running.

The rest of the councillors had been doing the job for eight months already, Drysdale said.

“We’ve got to work with him to ensure that he’s up to speed and that he can start adding immediately to our decisions.”

This could be the only term with a Māori ward after the Government directed councils to rescind Māori wards established after 2021 or hold a binding referendum on them.

The council must decide on the future of the Māori ward by November 30, 2026. If the council votes to retain the Māori ward, a referendum must take place by March 28, 2027.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.