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The number of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils is set to be slashed by more than half, following a divisive legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to put the future of hard-won Māori seats to a public vote.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which may have multiple elected officials based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the option to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments were only able to establish a Indigenous seat by initially putting it to a community referendum in their area. Communities frequently devoted considerable time generating local support and urging their local governments to establish Indigenous representation.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government permitted local councils to set up a Māori ward without first requiring them to subject it to a popular ballot.

But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, stating local residents ought to determine whether to introduce Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated local authorities that had established a ward under the previous policy to hold decisive public votes concurrently with the local body elections, which concluded on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the public vote, 17 decided to keep their wards, and 25 to disestablish theirs – showing many regions against reserved Indigenous seats.

The results represented “a vital step in restoring community self-determination.”

Critics however have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the coalition government has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has said it wants to end “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is committed to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.

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 disestablishing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Indigenous seats that had recently been established – they’re only just starting to find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Concerns

The recent local government elections recorded the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with under one-third of eligible voters casting a vote, leading to demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are able to create other types of wards – such as countryside seats – without initially mandating a community ballot. The disparate requirements placed on Māori wards indicated the administration was singling out Māori representation.

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

This statement referred to the 17 regions that chose to keep their wards.