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The number of guaranteed seats for Indigenous council members on NZ councils is set to be slashed by more than half, following a controversial law change that required municipal councils to submit the future of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Background Information on Indigenous Representation

Indigenous electoral districts, which may have multiple councillors based on demographic data, were created in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the choice to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, councils could only establish a Indigenous seat by initially submitting it to a public vote in their region. Local populations often spent years building community backing and urging their local governments to create Māori wards.

Policy Changes and Government Actions

To address this concern, the previous Labour government permitted local councils to establish a Māori ward without first requiring them to put it to a popular ballot.

But in 2024, the current administration reversed the change, saying local residents should decide whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation required councils that had created a ward under the previous policy to conduct binding referendums concurrently with the municipal polls, which ended on October 11. Out of 42 local governments participating in the referendum, 17 voted to keep their seats, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – revealing numerous areas against guaranteed Māori representation.

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

Critics however have criticised the new policy as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in sweeping rollbacks to measures designed to enhance Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has said it aims to end “ethnic-specific” policies, and says it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

The results of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers required to vote backed Indigenous seats, while rural regions skewed heavily towards removing them.

“It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had recently been established – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.”

Voter Turnout and Concerns

This year’s local government elections recorded the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with under one-third of citizens participating, prompting demands for reform.

The process had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are permitted to create different wards – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a public vote. The disparate requirements placed on Indigenous representation suggested the administration was singling out Māori representation.

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

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