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The count of reserved positions for Māori representatives on New Zealand councils will be cut by over 50%, following a divisive legislative amendment that required local governments to submit the future of hard-won Māori seats to a public vote.

Historical Context on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which may have one or more councillors based on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to vote for a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments could only create a Indigenous seat by initially submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Communities frequently spent years generating local support and pushing their local governments to create Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government permitted municipal authorities to establish a Māori ward without initially mandating them to subject it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the current administration reversed the change, stating local residents should decide whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation required local authorities that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold binding referendums concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on October 11. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the referendum, 17 decided to keep their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – showing numerous areas opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

The results represented “a crucial move in restoring community self-determination.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the coalition government has implemented extensive reversals to policies designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it wants to end “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is committed to enhancing results for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the referendums were split down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

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

Electoral Participation and Concerns

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

This approach had been “a mockery”.

Differential Standards

Councils are permitted to create other types of wards – including countryside seats – without first requiring a public vote. The different conditions applied to Māori wards suggested the government was targeting Māori representation.

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

This statement concerned the 17 areas that voted to retain their wards.