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The count of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on NZ local authorities will be cut by more than half, after a controversial law change that required municipal councils to submit the future of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more councillors depending on demographic data, were established in 2001 to provide Māori electors the option to elect a assured Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, local governments could only create a Indigenous seat by initially submitting it to a community referendum in their area. Communities frequently devoted considerable time building local support and urging their councils to create Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government allowed municipal authorities to set up a Māori ward without initially mandating them to subject it to a public vote.

However, this year, the current administration reversed the change, saying communities should decide whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation required local authorities that had established a electoral district under Labour’s rules to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on October 11. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 decided to keep their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing many regions opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

The results represented “a crucial move in reinstating local democratic control.”

Critics however have condemned the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the current administration has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has stated it aims to terminate “ethnic-specific” policies, and asserts it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were divided down urban-rural lines – six of the seven urban centers required to vote supported Indigenous seats, while rural regions skewed heavily towards disestablishing them.

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

Voter Turnout and Concerns

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

The process had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are able to establish other types of wards – including countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The disparate requirements applied to Indigenous representation suggested the administration was targeting Māori representation.

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

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