Guaranteed Māori Council Positions on New Zealand Councils to Be Slashed by More Than Half
The count of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils is set to be slashed by more than half, following a divisive law change that forced municipal councils to put the fate of hard-earned Māori seats to a popular referendum.
Background Information on Indigenous Representation
Māori wards, which can include one or more councillors based on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to elect a guaranteed Māori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils were only able to establish a Māori ward by initially putting it to a community referendum in their region. Local populations frequently devoted considerable time building community backing and urging their local governments to create Indigenous representation.
Legislative Shifts and Government Actions
To address this concern, the former administration permitted municipal authorities to set up a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to subject it to a popular ballot.
But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, stating communities should decide whether to establish Indigenous representation.
Referendum Results
The coalition’s law change required councils that had created a electoral district under Labour’s rules to hold binding referendums concurrently with the municipal polls, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – showing many regions against reserved Indigenous seats.
These outcomes represented “a crucial move in restoring local democratic control.”
Critics nevertheless have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the coalition government has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies designed to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it wants to end “race-based” policies, and says it is committed to enhancing results for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.
Geographical Splits
The results of the public votes were split down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers required to vote backed Indigenous seats, while countryside areas leaned strongly towards disestablishing them.
“It's unfortunate for the Māori wards that had recently been established – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.”
Voter Turnout and Concerns
The recent local government elections recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of eligible voters casting a vote, prompting calls for an overhaul.
This approach had been “a farce”.
Comparative Treatment
Local governments are able to create different wards – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The different conditions placed on Indigenous representation indicated the administration was targeting Māori representation.
“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have expressed strong opposition.”
This remark concerned the 17 regions that voted to retain their wards.
