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The number of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand local authorities is set to be slashed by more than half, after a controversial legislative amendment that required local governments to submit the future of hard-won Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Historical Context on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which can include one or more councillors depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Māori electors the option to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, councils could only create a Indigenous seat by initially putting it to a public vote in their area. Local populations frequently devoted considerable time generating community backing and urging their councils to create Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the former administration permitted municipal authorities to set up a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to subject it to a popular ballot.

But in 2024, the current administration reversed the change, saying communities should decide whether to establish Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated councils that had established a electoral district under the previous policy to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the municipal polls, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils taking part in the referendum, 17 decided to keep their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – revealing numerous areas opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

The results represented “a vital step in reinstating local democratic control.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have condemned the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the current administration has implemented extensive reversals to measures designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has said it wants to terminate “race-based” policies, and asserts it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

The results of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

This year’s municipal polls registered the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with under one-third of eligible voters casting a vote, leading to calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a mockery”.

Differential Standards

Councils are able to establish different electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The disparate requirements placed on Indigenous representation suggested the government was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

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

This statement concerned the 17 areas that voted to retain their wards.