🔗 Share this article

The number of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on NZ local authorities is set to be slashed by over 50%, after a controversial law change that forced municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include multiple elected officials based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the option to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, councils were only able to establish a Māori ward by first submitting it to a public vote in their region. Communities frequently devoted considerable time building local support and urging their local governments to establish Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions

To address this concern, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without first requiring them to subject it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the current administration reversed the change, stating local residents should decide whether to introduce Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had established a electoral district under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes concurrently with the local body elections, which concluded on October 11. Out of 42 local governments participating in the public vote, 17 voted to keep their wards, and 25 to disestablish theirs – revealing many regions against reserved Indigenous seats.

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

Opposition parties however have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the coalition government has ushered in extensive reversals to policies designed to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has stated it wants to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and says it is dedicated to enhancing results for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the referendums were split 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 Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Concerns

The recent municipal polls registered the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with less than a third of citizens participating, prompting calls for an overhaul.

The process had been “a mockery”.

Comparative Treatment

Councils are able to establish other types of electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without initially mandating a public vote. The disparate requirements placed on Indigenous representation suggested the government was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

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

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