Guaranteed Indigenous Council Positions on NZ Councils to Be Reduced by More Than Half

The number of guaranteed positions for Indigenous council members on NZ councils is set to be cut by over 50%, after a divisive law change that forced local governments to submit the fate of hard-won Indigenous wards to a popular referendum.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have one or more councillors based on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, councils could only create a Māori ward by first putting it to a community referendum in their area. Local populations frequently spent years generating local support and pushing their councils to establish Indigenous representation.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to set up a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.

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

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated councils that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which concluded on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 decided to retain their wards, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – showing many regions opposed to guaranteed Māori representation.

The results provided “a vital step in restoring local democratic control.”

Opposition parties nevertheless have criticised the government’s law change as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the current administration has implemented extensive reversals to policies intended to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has stated it wants to terminate “race-based” policies, and asserts it is dedicated to enhancing results for Māori and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

The results of the public votes were split down urban-rural lines – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards removing them.

“It’s a real shame for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to find their footing.”

Voter Turnout and Criticism

The recent municipal polls registered the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of citizens participating, leading to demands for reform.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are able to create different electoral districts – such as rural wards – without initially mandating a public vote. The different conditions applied to Māori wards suggested the government was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

“Well, they failed. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response.”

This statement referred to the 17 areas that chose to keep their seats.