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The count of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on NZ councils will be slashed by more than half, following a controversial law change that required local governments to put the future of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Background Information on Māori Wards

Māori wards, which can include one or more elected officials depending on demographic data, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to elect a assured Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Originally, local governments could only create a Māori ward by initially submitting it to a community referendum in their area. Local populations often spent years building community backing and pushing their local governments to create Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions

To remedy the issue, the former administration permitted municipal authorities to establish a Indigenous seat without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.

However, this year, the current administration overturned the policy, saying local residents should decide whether to establish Māori wards.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation required councils that had created a electoral district under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which concluded on October 11. Out of 42 local governments taking part in the referendum, 17 decided to retain their wards, and 25 to disestablish theirs – showing many regions opposed to reserved Indigenous seats.

The results provided “a crucial move in restoring community self-determination.”

Critics nevertheless have condemned the new policy as “racist” and “anti-Māori”. After assuming power, the current administration has implemented extensive reversals to policies intended to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has said it aims to end “ethnic-specific” policies, and says it is dedicated to enhancing results for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders.

Geographical Splits

Outcomes of the referendums were divided down city-country divisions – six of the seven urban centers required to vote supported Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards removing them.

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

Electoral Participation and Criticism

This year’s municipal polls recorded the lowest voter turnout in over three decades, with less than a third of citizens participating, prompting calls for an overhaul.

This approach had been “a farce”.

Differential Standards

Councils are permitted to establish other types of wards – including countryside seats – without first requiring a public vote. The different conditions applied to Māori wards indicated the administration was targeting Indigenous inclusion.

“Well, they failed. Many communities have expressed strong opposition.”

This remark referred to the 17 areas that voted to retain their wards.