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The count of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on NZ councils will be cut by over 50%, after a divisive legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to put the future of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which can include multiple councillors depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to elect a assured Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments were only able to establish a Māori ward by first putting it to a public vote in their area. Local populations often devoted considerable time generating community backing and pushing their local governments to create Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To address this concern, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.

However, this year, the right-wing coalition government overturned the policy, saying communities ought to determine whether to establish Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The new legislation required councils that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils taking part in the public vote, 17 voted to keep their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing numerous areas against reserved Indigenous seats.

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

Opposition parties however have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented sweeping rollbacks to measures designed to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it wants to end “ethnic-specific” approaches, and says it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while rural regions leaned strongly towards disestablishing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.”

Electoral Participation and Concerns

This year’s local government elections recorded the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with under one-third of citizens participating, prompting calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are permitted to create other types of wards – such as rural wards – without first requiring a community ballot. The different conditions placed on Māori wards indicated the government was singling out Māori representation.

“Well, they failed. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This remark concerned the 17 regions that chose to keep their wards.