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The count of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on NZ councils will be slashed by more than half, after a divisive legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to submit the future of hard-won Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more councillors depending on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the option to vote for a assured Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils could only establish a Indigenous seat by first putting it to a community referendum in their area. Local populations often spent years generating community backing and urging their councils to establish Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government allowed municipal authorities to set up a Māori ward without first requiring them to put it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government overturned the policy, saying communities ought to determine whether to introduce Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The coalition’s law change mandated local authorities that had established a electoral district under the previous policy to hold decisive public votes concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – showing numerous areas against reserved Indigenous seats.

The results represented “a vital step in restoring local democratic control.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has said it wants to terminate “ethnic-specific” policies, and says it is committed to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were divided down city-country divisions – most urban centers mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

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

Electoral Participation and Criticism

The recent municipal polls recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of citizens participating, prompting demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Councils are able to create different electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without initially mandating a public vote. The disparate requirements applied to Indigenous representation indicated the government was singling out Māori representation.

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

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