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The count of guaranteed positions for Indigenous council members on NZ local authorities is set to be cut by more than half, after a controversial legislative amendment that required municipal councils to submit the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a popular referendum.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include one or more elected officials based on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to elect a assured Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, councils could only create a Indigenous seat by first putting it to a community referendum in their area. Communities often spent years generating community backing and urging their local governments to create Indigenous representation.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to establish a Māori ward without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.

But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, saying communities should decide whether to establish Māori wards.

Referendum Results

The new legislation mandated local authorities that had established a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold binding referendums concurrently with the municipal polls, which ended on 11 October. Of 42 councils participating in the public vote, 17 decided to retain their seats, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – revealing numerous areas opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

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

Critics however have criticised the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to measures intended to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has said it wants to end “race-based” policies, and says it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori and every citizen.

Geographical Splits

The results of the referendums were split down urban-rural lines – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, while rural regions leaned strongly towards removing them.

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

Voter Turnout and Criticism

This year’s municipal polls registered the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with under one-third of eligible voters participating, leading to calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are permitted to create other types of electoral districts – including rural wards – without first requiring a community ballot. The disparate requirements placed on Indigenous representation suggested the administration was targeting Māori representation.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Many communities have expressed strong opposition.”

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