A Whakaata Māori poll of the Waiariki electorate reveals that voters support introducing a bed tax on international tourists to help meet growing infrastructure demands across the region.
Results show 43% of respondents favour requiring international visitors to pay a bed tax to support local infrastructure, while 33% oppose the measure and 24% remain undecided.
The findings come amidst ongoing local debate over how the tourism industry should contribute to visitor infrastructure costs.
In the Waiariki Candidate Race
Te Pāti Māori MP Rawiri Waititi leads the Waiariki electorate candidate vote on 42%. Green Party candidate Tania Waikato is on 16%, followed by Labour candidate Toni Boynton on 14%. Opportunity Party candidate Pāpā Wharewera is on 3%, with 6% choosing other candidates and 18% unsure.
When undecided voters are excluded, Waititi’s share rises to 52%, followed by Waikato on 20% and Boynton on 18%. Waititi also records a positive net approval rating of 28 percentage points, with 41% saying he has done a good job as Waiariki MP over the past three years, compared with 13% who rated his performance as poor.
The Party Vote remains close despite Te Pāti Māori candidate only strategy
The party vote remains close, with Labour leading on 24%, followed by Te Pāti Māori on 23% and the Greens on 21%. NZ First and National are both on 5%, while 14% are undecided. Excluding undecided voters, Labour sits on 28%, Te Pāti Māori on 27%, and the Greens on 25%.
Regional tourism and infrastructure demands
Local leadership in Waiariki continues to grapple with the pressures placed on public amenities by visitor traffic. While National has proposed redistributing the International Visitor Levy directly to councils hosting guests starting in July 2027, Waiariki voters lean strongly toward a dedicated local bed tax to ensure direct and immediate funding.
On wider constitutional matters, the poll found 64% believe Māori and the Crown should work together to define Treaty principles in New Zealand law. When asked about the next Government’s highest priority for improving outcomes for Māori, 35% chose honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, followed by reducing poverty and homelessness at 26%.
With the cost of living identified as the leading local concern at 32% and honouring Te Tiriti as the top priority for improving Māori outcomes, the poll points to key issues likely to remain central for Waiariki voters ahead of the next election.
The Curia Market Research poll, conducted between 21 September and 01 October 2026, surveyed 500 Māori adults enrolled in Waiariki, with a maximum sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.