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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, following a controversial legislative amendment that required local governments to submit the fate of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have multiple elected officials depending on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to vote for a assured Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Originally, local governments could only create a Māori ward by first putting it to a community referendum in their area. Communities often devoted considerable time generating local support and urging their councils to establish Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To address this concern, the former administration permitted municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to subject it to a popular ballot.

However, this year, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, saying communities should decide whether to introduce Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The coalition’s law change mandated local authorities that had created a ward under Labour’s rules to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the local body elections, which concluded on October 11. Of 42 councils taking part in the referendum, 17 voted to keep their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – showing many regions opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

These outcomes provided “a crucial move in restoring community self-determination.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have condemned the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in extensive reversals to policies intended to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it aims to end “ethnic-specific” approaches, and says it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers required to vote backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards removing them.

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

Electoral Participation and Concerns

This year’s municipal polls recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of eligible voters casting a vote, prompting calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Local governments are able to establish other types of wards – including rural wards – without first requiring a public vote. The different conditions applied to Māori wards suggested the government was targeting Māori representation.

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

This remark referred to the 17 regions that voted to keep their seats.