After 15 years serving on the New Plymouth District Council, Howie Tamati will not seek re-election in October.

New Plymouth District Council's only Maori councillor will not stand in October's local election.

Howie Tamati, of Te Atiawa, Ngati Mutunga and Ngai Tahu, has announced that this term will be his last, 15 years after he was first elected on to council.

"I think it's time I moved on," he said.

CHARLOTTE CURD/FAIRFAX NZ New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd is in his last months in the role after he announced he will not stand again.

"You get to that point over a period of time."

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Tamati's decision follows closely on the heels of New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd's announcement that he will not seek re-election.

Last week, Judd announced his intention to step aside and said despite the level of abuse he had endured around his stance on a proposed Maori ward, his decision was based on his desire to stem further division within the community.

One of the more recent flash points Tamati has taken a stand on was the naming of two new streets in a Waitara subdivision.

Tamati asked the council to consider two Maori names, Kaipeke Drive and Ngati Kura Road, instead of those proposed by property developer Richard Dreaver, who wanted to name the streets after his family members.

Tamati's motion was denied and Dreaver was given permission to use Dreaver Drive and Masters Lane instead.

Following the decision, Tamati and Judd both expressed their disappointment about it.

"We were quite a strident voice," he said.

While Tamati said he had seen a "greater understanding" develop among councillors regarding Maori issues over the last 15 years, the lack of Maori councillors was still a "worry".

He said representation of the tangata whenua viewpoint remained an issue, especially if council was committed to being truly representative of the community.

"If we want a balance we need to create something that would allow a Maori voice to be around that table," he said.

Tamati said he did not consider himself to hold extreme views but he did stand up for things he believed in.

He said his sporting profile had helped him get elected rather than his popularity as a councillor.

In 2013, Tamati received 6,607 votes, the lowest number of any person elected to council.

"I'm not a radical.

"I talk about things I believe in and am passionate about," he said.

During his last months in the role, Tamati said he intended to focus on seeing which policy changes could be advanced to increase the level of Maori input into decision making.

He has already shoulder tapped several people he believed had something to offer as potential councillors but urged tangata whenua to take a more active political role in the district generally.

"Maori have got to get more active and have a stronger presence at council," he said. This included giving deputations or seeking out engagement with councillors.

"What's good for Maori is 100 per cent what is good for the community," Tamati said.