30 October, 2012

Representation review final proposal unveiled

A single Bay of Island constituency and including all of the Tutukaka Coast in one constituency are among a number of publicly-driven changes which now form the Northland Regional Council’s ‘Representation Arrangements Review Final Proposal’.

As part of a six-yearly ‘representation review’ required under the Local Electoral Act 2001, regional councillors plan to drop the ‘outdated’ current model which governs the basis upon which they’re elected.

After recently considering submissions made during a month long public submission period, councillors today (subs: Tues 30 October) – agreed to drop the existing model, based on the region’s three district council boundaries, and replace it with seven, smaller constituencies.

In signing off its formal ‘Representation Arrangements Review Final Proposal’ at a special council meeting in Whangarei, council Chairman Craig Brown says councillors factored in a number of changes requested by submitters which included:

• Combining what had been council’s proposed Coastal North and Coastal Central Constituencies into a renamed, single constituency including all of the Bay of Islands and represented by two councillors. It will be known as the ‘Coastal North Constituency’.

• Extending the boundary of its proposed Hikurangi-Bream Head Constituency boundary north to include Matapouri and Sandy Bay and renaming it Hikurangi–Coastal Central Constituency.

• Extending the eastern boundary of the Hikurangi–Coastal Central Constituency to include a greater area around the Hikurangi township.

• Moving the proposed Kaipara Constituency’s boundary north to match the Far North District Council boundary to ensure the Kaihu community falls within the proposed Kaipara Constituency.

Mr Brown says as part of the proposed revamp, the number of regional councillors would also increase by one to nine – but the cost of that extra councillor would be covered within councillors’ existing $388,840 salary pool. (Nine councillors to share the same money currently paid to eight.)

He says the moves are designed to strengthen the representation all Northlanders – including Maori – get at the council table and aim to empower communities to both better serve their own needs and aspirations and contribute to regional decision-making.

Mr Brown says not all the changes called for by some submitters – including Maori constituencies and consideration of Kaipara District Council’s financial situation – were adopted by councillors for a variety of reasons.

“The decision on whether or not to establish Maori constituencies had been made during an earlier process required under legislation - and therefore could not form part of this particular process. Similarly, Kaipara’s financial situation is outside of the requirements of a representation review.”

Copies of Northland Regional Council’s full 2012 Representation Arrangements Review Final Proposal, summary proposal, resolution and maps setting out the areas of the proposed constituencies will be available from any regional council office or via its website: www.nrc.govt.nz/representationreview from Saturday November 03. (Subs: Please note, Nov 03 is when the info will be available; the official appeal/objection period doesn’t start until Saturday 10 November.)

Linda Stansfield, the regional council’s General Manager - CEO's Office and Projects - says under the Local Electoral Act 2001, each councillor must represent between 15,820 to 19,336 people.

“In part due to the changes made as a result of public submissions, two constituencies – Hokianga-Kaikohe with 15,350 and Whangarei Urban with 19,450 per councillor (38,900 total) – now fall just outside that range. It’s expected a final decision on these two areas will now be made by the Local Government Commission by 10 April next year.”

Meanwhile, Ms Stansfield says following public notification on Saturday 10 November, submitters will have until 4pm Monday 10 December to lodge an appeal or objection to the final proposal.

A range of information, including the final proposal, will then be sent to the Local Government Commission. Once again, it will issue its decision by 10 April next year and this will apply to the regional council’s next elections in October next year.

ENDS

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