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The count of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils is set to be slashed by more than half, after a divisive law change that forced municipal councils to put the future of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include one or more councillors depending on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to provide Māori electors the option to elect a guaranteed Māori representative 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. Communities frequently spent years building local support and pushing their local governments to establish Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to set up a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to put it to a popular ballot.

But in 2024, the current administration overturned the policy, saying communities should decide whether to introduce Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The coalition’s law change required councils that had established a ward under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their seats, and 25 to disestablish theirs – showing many regions against guaranteed Māori representation.

These outcomes represented “a crucial move in reinstating community self-determination.”

Critics nevertheless have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the current administration has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to policies intended to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. Officials has said it aims to terminate “race-based” approaches, and asserts it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were divided down urban-rural lines – six of the seven cities required to vote supported Indigenous seats, while rural regions leaned strongly towards disestablishing them.

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

Electoral Participation and Concerns

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

This approach had been “a mockery”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are able to create different wards – including countryside seats – without first requiring a public vote. The different conditions applied to Indigenous representation suggested the administration was singling out Māori representation.

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

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