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The count of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on New Zealand local authorities will be cut by more than half, after a controversial law change that forced local governments to put the future of hard-won Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which may have one or more councillors depending on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to elect a assured Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, local governments were only able to establish a Indigenous seat by first submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Communities often spent years building local support and urging their councils to establish Indigenous representation.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To remedy the issue, the former administration permitted municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to subject it to a public vote.

However, this year, the current administration reversed the change, stating communities ought to determine whether to introduce Māori wards.

Referendum Results

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

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

Critics nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in extensive reversals to measures designed to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has stated it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and says it is dedicated to enhancing results for Māori and every citizen.

Geographical Splits

The results of the public votes were split down urban-rural lines – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards disestablishing them.

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

Electoral Participation and Criticism

The recent local government elections recorded the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with under one-third of eligible voters participating, prompting demands for reform.

This approach had been “a mockery”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are able to establish different electoral districts – such as rural wards – without initially mandating a community ballot. The disparate requirements applied to Indigenous representation indicated the administration was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This statement referred to the 17 regions that voted to retain their wards.