Representation Review 2015

Submissions for this consultation closed 7 September 2015.

Any person who made a submission on the Council’s initial proposal may lodge an appeal against the Council’s decision. An appeal must relate to the matters raised in that person’s submission.

Appeals will only be accepted from persons who submitted to the initial proposal.

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Decision

The Whakatāne District Council will retain its current ward arrangements and number of elected members for the next two elections. The existing arrangements for the Rangitāiki, Tāneatua and Murupara Community Boards also continue, but the Council has decided to proceed with the amalgamation of the current Whakatāne and Ōhope Beach Community Boards.

The Representation Review outcomes can be appealed by any submitter. The appeal period opens on 9 October and closes on 10 November.

Any appeals received will be referred to the Local Government Commission, which will make a final determination on the District’s electoral arrangements in early 2016.

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Background

Councillors adopted resolutions put forward by the Policy Committee, which would see the retention of the current ward structure and number of elected Council members, as well as the current Rangitāiki, Tāneatua and Murupara community board arrangements. The Council is proposing to amalgamate the current Whakatāne and Ōhope Beach community boards, a move which would reduce the overall number of elected members by six.

Councillors were generally satisfied with the representation provided across the District, and there is therefore no change proposed to the existing wards - Whakatāne-Ōhope (five Councillors), Rangitāiki (three Councillors), Tāneatua-Waimana (one Councillor) and Galatea-Murupara (one Councillor). The Mayor will also continue to be elected across the whole District.

Public submissions on the Representation Review proposals opened on Wednesday, 5 August and closed at 5 pm on Monday, 7 September. Any submissions received were then heard by the full Council on 30 September and the final Council decisions notified to all submitters in early October. Submitters will then have one month to lodge an appeal against those decisions. All representation information, including any unresolved appeals or objections, must be forwarded to the Local Government Commission for consideration and/or confirmation by 15 January 2016.

Submissions

Submissions closed 7 September.

Supporting information

Council representation

It is proposed that the status quo remains with the Council comprising the Mayor and 10 Councillors elected from four wards, being:

The population that each Councillor will represent is as follows:

In accordance with section 19V(2) of the Local Electoral Act 2001, the population that each Councillor represents must be within the population range of 3,428 plus or minus 10% (3,085-3,770).

Community Board Representation 

It is proposed that the number of community boards be reduced from five to four, with the combination of the Whakatāne and Ōhope Beach Community Boards in line with the current ward structure as follows:

Each Board will elect six members plus one Councillor appointed from the respective ward. The Rangitāiki, Tāneatua and Whakatāne-Ōhope community boards will not be subdivided for electoral purposes. The Murupara Community Board will be subdivided for electoral purposes as follows:

In accordance with section 19V(2) of the Local Electoral Act 2001, the population that each Member represents must be within the population range of 528 plus or minus 10% (475-580).

Note: 528 residents per member gives a +/-10% range between 475 to 581. The Te Urewera Subdivision does not marginally comply with the +/- 10% criteria. Council believes the Te Urewera Subdivision of the Murupara Community Board should be exempt of this criteria under section 19V (3)(ii) of the Local Electoral Act 2001 as compliance would divide the Te Urewera community.