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The number of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on NZ councils is set to be slashed by over 50%, following a divisive legislative amendment that required municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Indigenous Representation

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have multiple elected officials depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to vote for a guaranteed Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, local governments were only able to establish a Indigenous seat by first submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Local populations frequently spent years building community backing and pushing their local governments to establish Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to set up a Māori ward without initially mandating them to subject it to a public vote.

However, this year, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, saying communities ought to determine whether to introduce Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation required councils that had established a electoral district under Labour’s rules to conduct binding referendums alongside the municipal polls, which concluded on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 decided to keep their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – showing many regions opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

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

Opposition parties however have criticised the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to measures designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has said it wants to end “ethnic-specific” policies, and asserts it is dedicated to enhancing results for Māori and every citizen.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the public votes were split down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities required to vote supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Māori wards that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

This year’s municipal polls registered the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with under one-third of citizens casting a vote, leading to demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are permitted to establish different wards – such as countryside seats – without initially mandating a community ballot. The different conditions placed on Māori wards suggested the government was targeting Māori representation.

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

This remark referred to the 17 areas that voted to keep their wards.