The Local Government Minister is questioning why patched members of a gang were able to wear their regalia inside a council building when a ban is in force.

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council faces backlash over a Facebook post featuring photos of patched gang members celebrating the decision in its council chambers to retain its Māori constituencies.

Yesterday, in what was described as a “significant step towards ensuring Māori representation”, the council voted unanimously to keep its Māori wards. This means there will be a binding poll at the next local government elections in 2025.

But the Facebook post released soon after featuring photos of patched gang members celebrating the decision has been met with some backlash online and from Simeon Brown, who is surprised a current patch ban was not enforced at a meeting.

Members of the public hit the comment section with concerns about the presence of gang members in the meeting.

Patched gang members were among attendees at a Hawke's Bay Regional Council meeting which unanimously voted to retain Maori constituencies, sparking a celebratory haka. Photo / Hawke's Bay Regional Council

“I’m interested to see why members of the Mongrel Mob were present at this meeting?” asked one user.

“Mostly thought it a complete embarrassment that our council have them at a decision-making meeting, and then advertise it!?” another wrote.

Brown said gang patches are already banned in public buildings.

“Gang insignia should not be on display in a council chamber ... as Minister of Local Government, I expect councils to uphold the law,” he said.

Associate Minister of Justice David Seymour also told the Herald, “this is exactly the sort of out of touch behaviour Kiwis are sick of”.

“This display shows exactly why Act’s coalition commitment for Hawke’s Bay residents to have their say by secret ballot is so important.

“It also shows a council with seriously out of touch priorities, a very good example of councils not focusing on their core job,” he said.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council meeting where a decision was made on Wednesday to retain the council's two Māori wards. Photo / Hawke's Bay Regional Council

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council justified its decision in the Facebook comments.

“We acknowledge that seeing gang paraphernalia can be distressing to some people, and we appreciate your feedback on our post,” it said.

“Regional Council meetings are open to all members of the public and our post is a factual record of this meeting. We do not have the authority to exclude members of the public who are following our meeting rules.”

Following enquiries by the Herald, the council has now deleted its photo and comment justifying gang paraphernalia being allowing into chambers.

At the time of speaking with Hawke’s Bay Today, council chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby had just finished the meeting, which included two other items of significant public interest attracting public members, and hadn’t seen the photo posted on the council’s Facebook page.

But she said that in the inclusive environment in which the council operates she welcomed the public engagement, saying it was the biggest she had ever seen in the council chambers - bigger even than when the council discussed the Māori Wards issue in 2021.

“It was open to the public and we invite anyone to attend our meetings,” she said, adding the response was “part of being in public office”.

“It’s an important issue, it was calm and peaceful, there was laughter, and theatre, and haka and waiata,” she said.

“It was great to see,” she said, hoping that the level of engagement might be reflected in the 2025 local body elections, given the concerns in recent years about low voter turnout.

But she said she’d have to look at “rules” in the Government proposal for gang-patch bans as to how the presence might apply if such bans are enforced.