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The number of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils is set to be cut by over 50%, following a controversial legislative amendment that required municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which may have one or more councillors depending on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the choice to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in local and regional authorities. Originally, councils were only able to establish a Indigenous seat by first submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Local populations often spent years generating local support and pushing their local governments to create Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the former administration allowed local councils to set up a Māori ward without initially mandating them to subject it to a public vote.

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 required councils that had established a ward under Labour’s rules to conduct decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils taking part in the public vote, 17 decided to retain their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – showing many regions opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

The results represented “a crucial move in reinstating community self-determination.”

Opposition parties however have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the coalition government has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. Officials has said it wants to end “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is committed to enhancing results for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the public votes were divided down urban-rural lines – six of the seven cities required to vote backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re just beginning to hit their stride.”

Voter Turnout and Concerns

This year’s local government elections registered the lowest voter turnout in 36 years, with less than a third of citizens participating, leading to calls for an overhaul.

The process had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are able to establish different wards – such as countryside seats – without initially mandating a community ballot. The different conditions placed on Māori wards suggested the government was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

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

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