Deadline nearing to have your say on representation review

There are just over two weeks left for you to have your say on how you want to be represented by Porirua City Council.

Every six years the Local Electoral Act requires Council to review its representation arrangements for local body elections.

Manager Democratic Services, Lynlee Bailey, said the current review includes a proposal to include Māori names for Porirua’s three electoral wards.

Ms Bailey said the proposal came out of a desire from the Council to better recognise local iwi Ngāti Toa Rangatira, and the significance of te reo Māori in general.

“Your Council wants to know if you agree with the proposal before the review closes on 3 August.”

Currently the Northern and Eastern Wards elect four councillors each and the Western Ward two councillors.

In reviewing our representation arrangements through guidelines laid down by the Local Government Commission the Council has also:

identified communities of interest
considered how best to provide effective representation for those communities, including whether or not there should be community boards
considered the fairness of representation for electors such as the ratio of population for each elected member.

Council’s last review in 2012, held in preparation for the 2013 and 2016 elections, cut the number of councillors from 11 to 10, and included Rānui in the Eastern Ward.

© Scoop Media