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The number of guaranteed seats for Māori representatives on New Zealand councils will be slashed by more than half following a controversial law change that forced local communities to vote on whether to keep the wards, according to local reports.
Māori wards, which may have one or more councillors depending on population, were created in 2001 to allow Indigenous voters to elect guaranteed Māori representatives to local and regional authorities.
Initially, councils could only establish a Māori ward after a public vote, which often took years of local campaigning.
To speed up the process, the previous Labour government allowed councils to set up Māori wards without holding a public vote.
Coalition government reverses change
In 2024, the right-wing coalition government reversed this rule, arguing that communities should decide whether Māori wards should exist.
Councils that had set up wards under Labour’s rules were required to hold binding referendums alongside the local elections on 11 October.
Of 42 councils taking part, 17 voted to keep their Māori wards while 25 voted to disestablish them, showing widespread opposition to guaranteed Māori representation in many regions.
The minister for local government, Simon Watts, told the Guardian the results represented “a vital step in reinstating local democratic control.”
“These collective decisions reflect the democratic will of the local communities and provide a clear mandate on their preferred form of local representation,” he said.
Opposition criticises the law
Opposition parties criticised the change as “racist” and “anti-Māori.” Since taking office, the coalition government has rolled back several policies aimed at improving Māori health, wellbeing, and representation. Officials say they want to end “race-based” policies but claim they remain committed to improving outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders.
The referendum results were split along urban-rural lines: six of the seven cities with votes supported Māori wards, while rural areas mostly voted to remove them.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“It’s a real shame for the Māori wards that had only just come in – they’re only just starting to hit their stride,” said Lara Greaves, associate professor in politics at Victoria University of Wellington.
Low voter turnout
This year’s local elections recorded the lowest turnout in 36 years, with less than a third of citizens voting, prompting calls for reform.
Labour’s acting spokesperson for local government, Kieran McAnulty, called the process “a farce.” He noted that councils can create other types of wards, such as rural wards, without a public vote, suggesting that the extra requirements for Māori wards targeted Māori representation.
“Well, they failed. Many communities have given the government a middle finger response,” McAnulty added, referring to the 17 councils that voted to keep their Māori wards.