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The number of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils is set to be slashed by more than half, following a controversial legislative amendment that forced local governments to submit the fate of hard-won Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which may have multiple councillors depending on demographic data, were established in 2001 to give Māori electors the option to vote for a guaranteed Indigenous council member in local and regional authorities. Originally, councils were only able to establish a Māori ward by first submitting it to a public vote in their area. Communities often devoted considerable time generating local support and pushing their councils to establish Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government permitted municipal authorities to set up a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to put it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government overturned the policy, saying communities ought to determine whether to establish Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change mandated local authorities that had established a ward under Labour’s rules to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the local body elections, which concluded on October 11. Of 42 councils taking part in the public vote, 17 decided to keep their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing numerous areas against guaranteed Māori representation.

The results provided “a vital step in restoring community self-determination.”

Critics nevertheless have condemned the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the coalition government has implemented extensive reversals to measures intended to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” policies, and says it is committed to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the public votes were split down urban-rural lines – six of the seven urban centers mandated to hold referendums backed Māori wards, while rural regions skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.”

Voter Turnout and Concerns

This year’s local government elections recorded the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with under one-third of eligible voters participating, prompting demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are able to establish other types of wards – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a public vote. The different conditions applied to Indigenous representation indicated the administration was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This remark referred to the 17 regions that voted to retain their wards.