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The count of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on NZ councils will be slashed by more than half, after a controversial law change that required municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which can include multiple elected officials depending on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to elect a assured Indigenous council member in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils could only create a Māori ward by first submitting it to a public vote in their area. Communities frequently devoted considerable time generating community backing and urging their local governments to create Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions

To remedy the issue, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to subject it to a popular ballot.

But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government overturned the policy, saying communities should decide whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Voting Outcomes

The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had established a ward under Labour’s rules to hold decisive public votes alongside the municipal polls, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 decided to retain their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – showing many regions opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

These outcomes represented “a crucial move in reinstating local democratic control.”

Critics however have condemned the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the coalition government has ushered in extensive reversals to policies designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. Officials has said it wants to terminate “race-based” approaches, and asserts it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the public votes were divided down urban-rural lines – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had recently been established – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Concerns

The recent municipal polls recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with less than a third of eligible voters participating, prompting calls for an overhaul.

The process had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Councils are able to establish different wards – including rural wards – without first requiring a community ballot. The disparate requirements applied to Indigenous representation indicated the government was singling out Māori representation.

“Well, they failed. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response.”

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