1995 New Zealand firefighter referendum


The firefighter referendum of 1995 was the first Citizens Initiated Referendum held in New Zealand on, based on the question:

"Should the number of professional firefighters employed full time in the New Zealand Fire Service be reduced below the number employed on 1 January 1995?"

Results

The referendum returned an extremely low voter turnout, with less than 27% of enrolled voters casting a vote.
Electorate %Votes %VotesTotal valid votesElectors on RollTurnout
Total12.18%79,47587.82%572,919652,3942,419,95826.96%
Albany9.95%1,18090.05%10,67511,85538,96030.43%
Aoraki11.75%1,42888.25%10,72212,15038,96031.83%
11.09%99188.91%7,9458,93638,59923.15%
Banks Peninsula15.95%2,33584.05%12,30714,64242,40834.53%
Bay of Plenty11.60%1,02788.40%7,8288,85538,33323.10%
Christchurch Central10.87%1,16389.13%9,53810,70135,47830.16%
Christchurch East7.89%1,05892.11%12,35513,41337,07736.18%
Clutha-Southland13.90%1,18486.10%7,3358,51938,15822.33%
Coromandel11.67%1,16088.33%8,7819,94140,99624.25%
Dunedin North10.02%1,36089.98%12,21313,57337,97635.74%
Dunedin South8.13%1,33491.87%15,08416,41840,67240.37%
Epsom21.79%1,87378.21%6,7238,59639,95721.51%
Hamilton East11.51%1,05888.49%8,7349,79237,34926.22%
Hamilton West8.11%83591.89%9,46510,30038,73226.59%
10.70%96289.30%8,0328,99435,00625.96%
Hutt South18.11%1,89481.89%8,56610,46036,66928.53%
Ilam20.61%2,72479.39%10,49613,22041,86731.58%
Invercargill8.66%1,05491.94%11,11312,16738,17131.87%
Kaikoura15.55%1,48184.45%8,0459,52639,13124.34%
10.69%88389.31%7,3768,25938,20321.62%
Mahia10.15%86389.85%7,6398,50233,31625.52%
Mana15.85%1,50784.15%8,0019,50832,95028.86%
Mangere7.83%45292.17%5,3175,76929,38519.63%
Manukau East9.56%74490.44%7,0367,78036,90621.08
Manurewa6.26%45593.74%6,8147,26931,32423.21%
Maungakiekie9.48%86490.52%8,2549,11836,31325.11%
Napier9.74%1,15590.26%10,70611,86137,59431.55%
Nelson14.45%1,60585.55%9,50411,10939,51028.12%
New Lynn6.95%71093.05%9,50910,21935,01629.18%
New Plymouth9.54%1,21790.56%11,54012,75739,91331.96%
North Shore14.26%1,75185.74%10,53012,28140,74130.14%
Northcote9.62%1,08290.38%10,16411,24638,52429.19%
Northland13.27%92686.73%6,0516,97734,81420.04%
Ohariu-Belmont23.36%2,40976.64%7,90410,31337,71527.34%
Otago12.36%1,33787.64%9,48310,82042,04725.73%
Otaki16.15%1,91483.85%9,93411,84840,00529.62%
Owairaka9.65%93990.35%8,7949,73337,33726.07%
Pakuranga11.72%1,21888.28%9,17510,39338,81526.78%
Palmerston North12.25%1,41287.75%10,11811,53038,35530.06%
Port Waikato8.56%68891.44%7,3518,03934,06823.60%
Rakaia17.21%1,74882.79%8,40610,15438,87826.12%
Rangitikei12.42%1,40587.68%9,91111,31638,27729.56%
Rimutaka13.00%1,56587.00%10,47612,04136,79432.73%
Rodney9.89%1,15690.11%10,53011,68642,52227.48%
Rongotai17.65%1,93482.35%9,02110,95540,47727.06%
Rotorua12.17%1,11587.85%8,0469,16135,44325.85%
Tamaki17.98%1,65982.02%7,5679,22635,92425.68%
Taranaki-King Country12.49%90587.51%6,3387,24333,88321.38%
Taupo13.05%99886.95%6,6477,64535,41221.59%
Tauranga11.26%1,26988.74%10,00211,27143,47525.93%
Tukituki11.66%1,20388.31%9,11710,32037,32127.65%
Waimakariri11.24%1,49988.76%11,84113,34039,11934.10%
Waipareira6.32%64893.68%9,61010,25838,56126.60%
Wairarapa14.90%1,62685.10%9,28710,91338,20428.57%
Waitakere7.41%80992.69%10,11510,92436,59329.85%
33.33%3,73866.67%7,47611,21444,32825.30%
West Coast-Tasman11.21%1,11588.79%8,8309,94536,00427.62%
Whanganui9.06%1,09890.94%11,02212,12037,95431.93%
Whangarei9.53%1,13790.47%10,78811,92538,87830.67%
Wigram8.08%1,13991.92%12,95214,09139,98335.24%
Te Puku O Te Whenua8.19%27891.81%3,1173,39525,69113.21%
Te Tai Hauauru7.50%26692.50%3,2803,54630,91611.47%
Te Tai Rawhiti7.92%28192.08%3,2693,55030,09711.80%
Te Tai Tokerau8.18%33691.82%3,7724,10830,09413.56%
Te Tai Tonga6.78%31693.22%4,3424,65828,56416.31%

Aftermath

The referendum was rejected with a huge margin, but career firefighter numbers were reduced regardless. There were 1819 career firefighters on 1 January 1995, 1573 in 1998 and 1702 in 2009.