🔗 Share this article Reserved Indigenous Council Positions on NZ Local Governments to Be Slashed by More Than Half The count of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on NZ councils is set to be slashed by over 50%, after a controversial legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to submit the future of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a popular referendum. Background Information on Māori Wards Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more councillors based on demographic data, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to vote for a guaranteed Māori representative in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, councils were only able to establish a Māori ward by first submitting it to a public vote in their region. Local populations often spent years generating community backing and pushing their councils to create Indigenous representation. Policy Changes and Administrative Decisions To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government allowed municipal authorities to establish a Māori ward without initially mandating them to subject it to a popular ballot. But in 2024, the current administration overturned the policy, stating communities ought to determine whether to introduce Māori wards. Voting Outcomes The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had created a ward under Labour’s rules to hold decisive public votes concurrently with the local body elections, which ended on 11 October. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the public vote, 17 voted to retain their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – showing many regions against guaranteed Māori representation. These outcomes represented “a crucial move in restoring community self-determination.” Opposition parties however have criticised the government’s law change as “discriminatory” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the coalition government has implemented sweeping rollbacks to policies intended to improve Māori health, wellbeing and representation. The government has stated it aims to terminate “race-based” approaches, and says it is dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen. Geographical Splits Outcomes of the public votes were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers mandated to hold referendums supported Māori wards, 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.” Electoral Participation and Concerns The recent local government elections recorded the smallest electoral participation in over three decades, with less than a third of eligible voters casting a vote, prompting demands for reform. This approach had been “a mockery”. Differential Standards Local governments are permitted to create different electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a public vote. The different conditions applied to Māori wards suggested the administration was targeting Māori representation. “Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have given the government a middle finger response.” This statement concerned the 17 regions that chose to retain their wards.