🔗 Share this article Guaranteed Māori Council Positions on NZ Councils to Be Reduced by Over 50% The count of reserved positions for Indigenous council members on New Zealand councils will be slashed by over 50%, after a divisive legislative amendment that forced municipal councils to put the fate of hard-earned Indigenous wards to a popular referendum. Background Information on Indigenous Representation Indigenous electoral districts, which can include one or more elected officials based on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to provide Indigenous voters the option to elect a assured Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, councils could only create a Māori ward by first submitting it to a community referendum in their region. Local populations frequently spent years generating community backing and pushing their councils to establish Indigenous representation. Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed 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, saying local residents ought to determine whether to establish Indigenous representation. Voting Outcomes The coalition’s law change mandated councils that had created a ward under the previous policy to hold decisive public votes alongside the local body elections, which concluded on October 11. Of 42 councils taking part in the public vote, 17 voted to retain their wards, and 25 to abolish theirs – showing many regions opposed to reserved Indigenous seats. These outcomes provided “a crucial move in reinstating local democratic control.” Critics however have condemned the government’s law change as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. Since taking office, the current administration has ushered in extensive reversals to measures designed to enhance Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. Officials has stated it wants to terminate “ethnic-specific” policies, and says it is committed to enhancing results for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders. Urban-Rural Divide Outcomes of the referendums were split 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 Māori wards that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to find their footing.” Voter Turnout and Concerns The recent local government elections recorded the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with under one-third of citizens casting a vote, prompting calls for an overhaul. The process had been “a mockery”. Differential Standards Councils are permitted to create other types of electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without initially mandating a community ballot. The different conditions placed on Māori wards indicated the government was singling out Māori representation. “Ultimately, they were unsuccessful. Numerous localities have expressed strong opposition.” This statement concerned the 17 regions that chose to retain their seats.