9 Jun 2010

Community leaders in NZ worry Pacific people will not a voice in Super City

9:21 am on 9 June 2010

Two community leaders says they're worried Pacific people will not have a voice in the new Auckland Super City.

Bruce McCarthy, the outgoing chair of the Pacific Islands Board Auckland City, says there's been little preparation for the October elections.

Taha Fasi, the chair of the Waitakere Pacific Island Advisory Board agrees, and says the community needs to get candidates organised quickly if they're to have a chance.

Mr McCarthy and Mr Fasi also worry there'll be a vacuum when the island advisory boards are scrapped.

Members were voted on but it's now up to the Ministry of Pacific Affairs to shape a new body by 2011.

Mr Fasi says the communities are in limbo thanks to the government ignoring the call for an allocated seat for Pacific communities or allowing the existing advisory boards to stay.

"We're very annoyed. We went through the process, we made a very strong case to the Royal Commission, the select committee. There were two select committee hearings, last year and the beginning of this year, but what we said was just totally ignored, totally ignored."

Taha Fasi of the Waitakere Pacific Island Advisory Board.