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The count of guaranteed positions for Indigenous council members on NZ councils will be slashed by over 50%, following a divisive legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to put the future of hard-earned Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have multiple councillors based on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to elect a assured Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils were only able to create a Indigenous seat by first submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Communities frequently spent years generating local support and urging their local governments to establish Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to establish a Māori ward without initially mandating them to subject it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the current administration overturned the policy, saying communities should decide whether to establish Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had created a ward under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes alongside the municipal polls, which concluded on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 decided to retain their seats, and 25 to abolish theirs – revealing many regions against reserved Indigenous seats.

These outcomes represented “a crucial move in reinstating community self-determination.”

Critics however have condemned the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the coalition government has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to policies intended to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” policies, and asserts it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the referendums were divided down city-country divisions – most cities mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had recently been established – they’re just beginning to find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Concerns

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

The process had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are permitted to establish other types of wards – such as rural wards – without initially mandating a community ballot. The different conditions applied to Māori wards indicated the administration was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

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

This statement referred to the 17 regions that chose to retain their seats.