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The number of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils will be slashed by over 50%, following a controversial law change that required municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include one or more elected officials depending on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to give Māori electors the choice to vote for a guaranteed Māori representative 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 region. Local populations often spent years generating local support and urging their councils to establish Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to establish a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to subject it to a popular ballot.

But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government overturned the policy, stating local residents should decide whether to introduce Indigenous representation.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change mandated local authorities that had established a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold decisive public votes alongside the municipal polls, which ended on October 11. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the public vote, 17 decided to retain their seats, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – showing many regions opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

These outcomes represented “a vital step in restoring community self-determination.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have condemned the new policy as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. Officials has stated it wants to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were split down urban-rural lines – six of the seven urban centers required to vote backed Māori wards, while rural regions leaned strongly towards removing them.

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

Voter Turnout and Criticism

The recent local government elections recorded the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with less than a third of citizens participating, leading to calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are able to establish other types of wards – such as rural wards – without first requiring a community ballot. The different conditions applied to Māori wards indicated the administration was singling out Māori representation.

“Well, they failed. Many communities have expressed strong opposition.”

This statement concerned the 17 regions that voted to retain their seats.