No.
Māori ward councillors have the same responsibilities as other councillors under various pieces of legislation to engage Māori in decision-making processes.
They are not a substitute for Māori individuals, whānau, hapū, iwi, tangata whenua, mana whenua, ecetera, regarding the council’s obligations to consult and engage with Māori.
However, Māori wards are intended to represent the importance of the Māori community voice, to provide assurance that issues important to Māori can be more directly brought to the council. Their role is to promote confidence in local government decision-making processes, knowing that where there is a distinctive Māori perspective related to a matter, someone will be able to interpret and weigh up the associated issues.
Māori wards are a way of ensuring Māori voices in the community are heard where otherwise representation would be hard to achieve.