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The number of reserved seats for Indigenous council members on NZ councils is set to be cut by more than half, following a divisive law change that required municipal councils to put the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a public vote.

Historical Context on Indigenous Representation

Māori wards, which may have one or more councillors depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to elect a assured Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, councils were only able to establish a Māori ward by first putting it to a public vote in their region. Local populations often spent years building local support and urging their local governments to establish Indigenous representation.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To address this concern, the former administration allowed municipal authorities to establish a Māori ward without first requiring them to put it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government overturned the policy, stating local residents ought to determine whether to establish Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated local authorities that had established a ward under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes alongside the municipal polls, which ended 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 against reserved Indigenous seats.

The results provided “a vital step in restoring community self-determination.”

Critics nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the coalition government has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it aims to terminate “race-based” approaches, and says it is dedicated to enhancing results for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the referendums were divided down urban-rural lines – six of the seven urban centers required to vote supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re only just starting to find their footing.”

Electoral Participation and Criticism

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

The process had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are able to create other types of wards – including rural wards – without first requiring a public vote. The disparate requirements placed on Indigenous representation indicated the administration was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

“Well, they failed. Many communities have expressed strong opposition.”

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