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The number of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on NZ local authorities will be cut by more than half, following a controversial legislative amendment that required local governments to put the future of hard-won Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include multiple elected officials depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to elect a assured Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, councils could only establish a Indigenous seat by initially putting it to a public vote in their region. Communities frequently spent years building local support and pushing their local governments to create Indigenous representation.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government permitted municipal authorities to establish a Māori ward without initially mandating 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 coalition’s law change required local authorities that had created a electoral district under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils taking part in the referendum, 17 voted to keep their wards, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – revealing many regions against guaranteed Māori representation.

These outcomes provided “a vital step in reinstating community self-determination.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. Officials has stated it wants to terminate “race-based” approaches, and says it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the referendums were divided down urban-rural lines – six of the seven cities required to vote backed Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.”

Voter Turnout and Criticism

This year’s local government elections registered the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with less than a third of eligible voters casting a vote, leading to demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are able to create different wards – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The disparate requirements applied to Māori wards suggested the government was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

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

This statement concerned the 17 regions that chose to retain their seats.