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The number of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on NZ councils will be cut by more than half, following a controversial legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to submit the future of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which may have one or more elected officials based on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to provide Māori electors the choice to vote for a assured Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils could only create a Indigenous seat by initially submitting it to a community referendum in their area. Communities often spent years generating local support and urging their councils to establish Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.

However, this year, the current administration reversed the change, saying local residents ought to determine whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Referendum Results

The new legislation mandated councils that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to conduct binding referendums alongside the local body elections, which concluded on 11 October. Of 42 councils participating in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their wards, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – showing many regions opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

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

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the coalition government has implemented extensive reversals to measures designed to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” policies, and says it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the public votes were divided down urban-rural lines – most urban centers required to vote supported Māori wards, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards disestablishing 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 smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of citizens participating, leading to demands for reform.

The process had been “a mockery”.

Differential Standards

Councils are able to establish other types of electoral districts – such as rural wards – without first requiring a community ballot. The disparate requirements placed on Māori wards indicated the administration was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

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

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