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The number of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils will be slashed by more than half, following a controversial legislative amendment that required local governments to submit the future of hard-won Māori seats to a public vote.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include one or more elected officials based on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to provide Māori electors the choice to elect a assured Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, local governments were only able to establish a Māori ward by first putting it to a public vote in their area. Communities often devoted considerable time generating community backing and pushing their local governments to create Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government permitted local councils to set up 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, stating communities ought to determine whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated councils that had created a electoral district under the previous policy to hold binding referendums concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments 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.

These outcomes provided “a vital step in restoring local democratic control.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the current administration has ushered in extensive reversals to measures intended to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. Officials has stated it wants to terminate “ethnic-specific” policies, and asserts it is committed to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing 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 Concerns

This year’s local government elections registered the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with less than a third of citizens casting a vote, prompting demands for reform.

The process had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are permitted to establish other types of wards – such as countryside seats – without initially mandating a public vote. The different conditions placed on Indigenous representation suggested the administration was singling out Māori representation.

“Well, they failed. Numerous localities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This remark referred to the 17 areas that voted to retain their seats.