Reserved Indigenous Seats on NZ Councils to Be Slashed by Over 50%

The count of guaranteed positions for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils will be slashed by over 50%, following a divisive legislative amendment that required municipal councils to put the fate of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a public vote.

Historical Context on Māori Wards

Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more elected officials depending on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the choice to elect a guaranteed Indigenous council member in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils were only able to create a Māori ward by first submitting it to a public vote in their region. Local populations often spent years generating local support and pushing their councils to establish Māori wards.

Legislative Shifts and Government Actions

To remedy the issue, the previous Labour government permitted municipal authorities to set up a Māori ward without initially mandating them to put it to a public vote.

However, this year, the current administration overturned the policy, saying communities should decide whether to establish Indigenous representation.

Voting Outcomes

The new legislation mandated local authorities that had established a ward under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which concluded on October 11. Of 42 councils taking part in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their wards, and twenty-five to abolish theirs – revealing numerous areas against guaranteed Māori representation.

The results provided “a vital step in reinstating community self-determination.”

Opposition parties however have condemned the new policy as “discriminatory” and “anti-Māori”. Since taking office, the coalition government has implemented sweeping rollbacks to measures intended to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. Officials has said it wants to end “race-based” approaches, and says it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and every citizen.

Urban-Rural Divide

Outcomes of the referendums were split down urban-rural lines – six of the seven cities mandated to hold referendums backed Māori wards, while rural regions 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.”

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 casting a vote, prompting demands for reform.

The process had been “a mockery”.

Comparative Treatment

Local governments are able to establish other types of wards – such as countryside seats – without first requiring a community ballot. The disparate requirements placed on Māori wards suggested the administration was singling out Indigenous inclusion.

“Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have expressed strong opposition.”

This statement referred to the 17 regions that voted to keep their seats.