🔗 Share this article Guaranteed Māori Council Positions on New Zealand Councils to Be Reduced by Over 50% The number of reserved positions for Māori representatives on New Zealand councils is set to be cut by more than half, following a divisive law change that required municipal councils to submit the future of hard-won Māori seats to a popular referendum. Historical Context on Māori Wards Indigenous electoral districts, which may have one or more elected officials depending on local population numbers, were created in 2001 to give Māori electors the choice to vote for a guaranteed Indigenous council member in municipal and provincial governments. Initially, councils could only create a Indigenous seat by first submitting it to a public vote in their area. Local populations frequently spent years building local support and urging their councils to establish Indigenous representation. Legislative Shifts and Administrative Decisions To address this concern, the previous Labour government allowed local councils to establish a Māori ward without first requiring them to put it to a popular ballot. But in 2024, the right-wing coalition government reversed the change, saying communities should decide whether to introduce Indigenous representation. Voting Outcomes The coalition’s law change required local authorities that had created a electoral district under the previous policy to conduct decisive public votes alongside the municipal polls, which concluded on 11 October. Of 42 councils taking part in the referendum, 17 voted to retain their seats, and twenty-five to disestablish theirs – showing many regions against reserved Indigenous seats. The results represented “a vital step in restoring community self-determination.” Opposition parties however have condemned the new policy as “racist” and “against Indigenous interests”. After assuming power, the coalition government has implemented extensive reversals to measures designed to improve Indigenous welfare and political inclusion. The government has said it wants to terminate “ethnic-specific” approaches, and asserts it is committed to improving outcomes for Indigenous people and all New Zealanders. Urban-Rural Divide Outcomes of the referendums were split down city-country divisions – most cities required to vote backed Māori wards, while countryside areas skewed heavily towards disestablishing them. “It's unfortunate for the Indigenous seats that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to hit their stride.” Electoral Participation and Concerns This year’s municipal polls registered the smallest electoral participation in 36 years, with less than a third of eligible voters casting a vote, prompting demands for reform. The process had been “a mockery”. Comparative Treatment Local governments are able to create other types of electoral districts – such as countryside seats – without first requiring 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 remark concerned the 17 regions that chose to retain their seats.