Voters in the Far North have rejected establishing Māori wards for council elections.
In a poll conducted by the Far North District Council, 68 percent of those who voted opposed the idea, while 31 percent favoured it.
Votes were cast by just over 35 percent of those who were sent ballot papers in February.
The Far North mayor, John Carter, said the council would now seek feedback from Māori about non-electoral representation options.