Media release

15 December 2009

Council calls for more representation on Waitakere Local Board

Increasing the number of representatives elected to the new Waitakere Local Board and four boundary adjustments are included in Waitakere City Council’s submission to the Local Government Commission.

The council is responding to the commission’s proposals on ward and local board boundaries for the new Auckland Council, which comes into being next year.

“We support the commission’s proposals as they relate to future governance in West Auckland but believe some adjustments are needed to ensure the new structure is strong enough to be effective,” says Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse.

Currently the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 states that the maximum number of people on each board is nine and the council is calling for the commission to amend this.

“We don’t think that will work in the Waitakere local board given its size,” says Cr Hulse.

“The proposed Waitakere local board area has a population of 166,150, which gives it the highest population per board member in Auckland. We don’t believe that is providing fair representation for the electorate.”

The council is also requesting subdivision boundaries within board areas be adjusted to bring fairer representation.

These are:
• Ranui: transferring approximately 20,341 residents (and one member) from the Henderson Subdivision to the Massey Subdivision
• Glen Eden: transferring approximately 2,161 residents from the Glen Eden-Titirangi Subdivision to the Waitakere Ranges Subdivision
• Seymour Rd area: transferring approximately 1,244 residents from the Henderson Subdivision to the Titirangi/Glen Eden-Subdivision
• Oratia Valley: transferring approximately 1,114 residents from the New Lynn Subdivision of Whau Local Board to the Glen Eden-Titirangi Subdivision of Waitakere Local Board.

In November the commission proposed a new Whau Local Board to include New Lynn, Green Bay and parts of Kelston, as well as Avondale, New Windsor and Blockhouse Bay, currently in Auckland City.

The proposed Waitakere ward would include the rest of the existing Waitakere City and takes in a small part of Rodney, near Taupaki. That ward comprises four ‘subdivisions’ (Waitakere, Henderson, Massey and Titirangi/Glen Eden) whose members would make up the Local Board.

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