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The count of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils will be cut by more than half, following a divisive legislative amendment that required local governments to submit the future of hard-won Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include one or more councillors based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to provide Māori electors the choice to vote for a assured Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, councils were only able to create a Māori ward by first putting it to a community referendum in their region. Local populations frequently spent years building community backing and pushing their councils to create Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to put it to a popular ballot.

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

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had created a electoral district under the previous policy to conduct binding referendums alongside the local body elections, which concluded on 11 October. Of 42 councils participating in the referendum, 17 decided to retain their wards, and 25 to disestablish theirs – showing numerous areas opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

The results represented “a crucial move in restoring local democratic control.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the new policy as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in extensive reversals to policies intended to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. Officials has stated it aims to terminate “race-based” policies, and asserts it is dedicated to enhancing results for Māori and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the referendums were split down urban-rural lines – most cities required to vote backed Māori wards, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards removing them.

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

Electoral Participation and Concerns

This year’s local government elections recorded the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with less than a third of citizens casting a vote, leading to calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Councils are permitted to create different wards – such as rural wards – without initially mandating a community ballot. The disparate requirements applied to Māori wards indicated the administration was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Many communities have expressed strong opposition.”

This statement referred to the 17 areas that chose to retain their seats.