Community voices at the council table – Representation Review 2024
Kua tau, kua ea | A decision has been made
On 18 September 2024, the Ōpōtiki District Council considered the submissions received on its initial proposal regarding the representation arrangements for the Council to apply for at least the 2025 triennial local authority elections.
Submissions
The Council received 12 submissions to its initial proposal. Seven submissions were in support of all or some of the initial proposal. Five submissions were opposed to the initial proposal, as follows:
- one submitter sought fewer councilors
- one submitter expressed a preference to retain the current arrangements
- one submitter sought four Māori ward councilors and four general ward councillors
- one submitter sought three Māori ward councillors and three general ward councillors
- one submitter sought two Māori ward councilors and five general ward councillors
Final Proposal
Having considered all of the submissions, the Council resolved to adopt its initial proposal as its final proposal, specifically:
The Ōpōtiki District Council to comprise the mayor elected ‘at large’ and seven councillors elected from four wards, these being:
- Coast Māori Ward (represented by one councillor), comprising the existing Coast Ward area, as shown on Appendix 1;
- Ōpōtiki Māori Ward (represented by two councillors), comprising the existing Waioeka-Waiōtahe-Otara Ward area and the existing Ōpōtiki Ward area, as shown on Appendix 1;
- Rural General Ward (represented by two councillors), comprising the existing Waioeka-Waiōtahe-Otara Ward area and the existing Coast Ward area, as shown on Appendix 2;
- Urban General Ward (represented by two councillors), comprising the existing Ōpōtiki Ward area, as shown on Appendix 2.
The Coast Community Board be retained, represented by four elected members and one appointed member of the council, being the Coast Māori Ward councillor, as shown on Appendix 3.
The number of Māori ward councillors complies with Schedule 1A of the Local Electoral Act 2001.
The two Māori wards, the number of councillors per Māori ward, the Māori ward populations (estimated as at 30 June 2023) and the population ratio per Māori ward councillor are as follows:
| Māori Ward | Māori Electoral Population | Councillors | Average | % Variation |
| Coast Māori | 1,140 | 1 | 1,140 | -28.30 |
| Ōpōtiki Māori | 3,630 | 2 | 1,815 | +14.15 |
| Total | 4,770 | 3 | 1,590 |
In accordance with section 19V(2), Local Electoral Act 2001, the population that each Māori ward councillor represents must be within the range of 1,590 +/- 10% (1,431 to 1,749), unless particular community of interest considerations justify otherwise.
The Coast Māori Ward and Ōpōtiki Māori Ward fall outside the stipulated range. Achieving compliance with section 19V(2), Local Electoral Act 2001 would require either of the below scenarios:
- Increasing the number of councillors elected to the Ōpōtiki Māori Ward from two to three; or
- Moving the boundary between the Māori wards significantly west to increase the population in the Coast Māori Ward.
The Council has reviewed these two options and considers that increasing the number of councillors elected to the Ōpōtiki Māori Ward would limit effective representation and that moving the boundary between the two Māori wards would compromise the community of interest in the Coast Māori Ward.
The two general wards, the number of councillors per general ward, the general ward populations (estimated as at 30 June 2023) and the population ratio per general ward councillor are as follows:
| General Ward | General Electoral Population | Councillors | Average | % Variation |
| Rural General | 2,790 | 2 | 1,395 | -3.79 |
| Urban General | 3,010 | 2 | 1,505 | +3.79 |
| Total | 5,800 | 4 | 1,450 |
In accordance with section 19V(2), Local Electoral Act 2001, the population that each general ward councillor represents falls within the population range of 1,450 plus or minus 10% (1,305 – 1,595).
The Council rejected the matters raised in submissions opposed to the initial proposal, as it considers the number of councillors, being seven, and the basis of election, being three councillors from two Māori wards and four councillors from two general wards will ensure fair and effective representation of communities of interest.
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appeals
Any person who made a submission on 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.
Your Ward
Background
What we have now
As at 2022, we had 6,378 electors (people enrolled to vote on either the Māori Roll or General Roll) in the Ōpōtiki District.
Currently, we elect:
- A mayor (at large)
- 1 councillor from the Coast ward
- 3 councillors from the Ōpōtiki Ward
- 2 councillors from the Waioeka-Waiōtahe-Otara Ward
We also have one community board - the Coast Community Board - with 4 members.
Why do things need to change?
Council must review, from time to time, how well people and communities in the district are represented. With the decision to include Māori wards, we now need to do that this year so that it can be in place for the 2025 elections.
The number of Māori ward councillors is set in legislation using a formula based on the ratio of Māori electoral population to the total electoral population.
Based on the formula, Ōpōtiki would likely have 3-4 councillors from one or more Māori wards (depending on the number of councillors we choose to have on council). You can read more details on this in the frequently asked questions.
What needs to change?
In light of these changes, we must make sure our arrangements are:
Effective means the system should be practical and work. Thinking about questions like: do we have the right number of councillors? Should they be elected from wards or “at large”? How many wards and where? Should we have community boards and how many?
Representative means our structure must bring different “communities of interest” to the table. Questions about where people feel like they belong. Where you might feel like your community has distinct needs that should be heard at the council table. Where your community meets, shops, goes to school and church.
In this process, ‘fair’ generally means each elected member represents about same number of people (within +/- 10%). Māori wards and General wards are treated separately under this rule.
Can we keep things the same?
No. With the introduction of Māori wards, none of our wards meet the “+/- 10% rule”. For example, if we just layered Māori wards over top of our current ward structure, some of the councillors would represent around 600 people and other councillors would represent almost 3,000. So some change is necessary.
What do we need to decide?
We need to consider questions like:
- how many councillors we want
- whether we have one or more General wards
- whether we have one or more Māori wards
- where we draw ward boundaries and their names (if we choose to have them)
- and whether we want community boards (and their boundaries, membership, and names if we do)
How will the process work?
Our first step is to talk with ngā hāpori (our communities) and listen to what they think representation should look like at Council.
Based on what the community says, councillors will draw up a recommended structure (the initial proposal) in July. We’ll bring that back to the community for formal consultation so that the final structure is resolved before the end of 2024.
We also need to allow time for any appeals or reviews by the Local Government Commission. The final structure will be effective in the 2025 local elections.
The Initial Proposal
Councillors drew up a recommended structure (the initial proposal) in July.
This went out for formal consultation.
We need the final structure decided before the end of 2024 so that there is time for any appeals or reviews by the Local Government Commission. The final structure will be effective in the 2025 local elections.
The Council’s initial proposal is for a seven-member council:
- four councillors elected from two general wards
- three councillors elected from two Māori wards
- a mayor elected at large.
It also proposes that the current Coast Community Board remains the same and the boundary aligns with the boundary for the Coast Māori Ward.
Important issues to note on the preferred option:
- The preferred option does not comply with the +/-10% rule and therefore must be forwarded to the Local Government Commission to make a determination.
- The change in the number of councillors will not change the cost of paying elected members. That is because under remuneration rules, we’ll have the same ‘pot’ of funding, it will just be divided up differently.
- The names currently given to these wards are simple descriptors at this stage. Because there are several changes yet to take place, we prefer to wait until wards and boundaries are finalised before consulting with the community on names. This may mean we have temporary names for the 2025 elections but more meaningful names for future elections.
FAQ's
Wards and Representation
The representation review is relevant to you because it ensures that the communities within the Ōpōtiki district are fairly and effectively represented.
It determines how your community is represented at council, which affects how your interests and views are considered in council decisions.
The Local Electoral Act requires “fair and effective representation for individuals and communities”.
Fair representation relates to the number of councillors represented per member. The ratio of councillors per member in each constituency is required to be within +/-10% of the ratio for the whole district. This is designed to ensure approximate equality in representation i.e., votes of equal value. When determining fair and effective representation the general and Māori constituencies are dealt with separately.
Effective representation relates to the Councillors’ ability to represent their constituency and ensure matters important to their electorate are heard.
The term “communities of interest” is used in the Local Electoral Act to describe in general terms, the sense of community or belonging reinforced by the geography of the area, the commonality of places to which people go to for their employment, the location of their schools, marae, banks, where they do their shopping and the location of their religious, recreational and major transport facilities etc.
A ward is a geographical area outlined by boundaries for electoral purposes. A certain number of people in each ward are elected to represent you on council. They are like “seats” in a general election. In Ōpōtiki we currently have three wards: the Coast ward (1 councillor), the Ōpōtiki Ward (3 councillors) and the Waioeka-Waiōtahe-Otara Ward (2 councillors).
Although candidates stand for their ward area, when voted on to council, councillors swear an oath to work for the district as a whole.
Head to the Ward Map to find out what Ward you're in.
We use population data from 2023 population estimates provided by Statistics New Zealand to work out how many people live in different areas of the district and this helps us understand our 'communities of interest'.
As we work through this process, we will look into different options for ward boundaries and ‘at large’ options that will meet the ‘fair and effective’ rules. We will then choose our preferred option (based on feedback from our communities) and consult on this ‘initial proposal’.
The number of Māori ward councillors is based on legislative formula using Māori and general electoral populations (not electors).
- 4,770 Māori Electoral Population (45.13%)
- 5,880 General Electoral Population (54.87%)
For example:
If 6 councillors are retained:
- 3 Māori councillors (2.71 rounded up)
- 3 general councillors
If 5 councillors:
- 2 Māori councillors (2.26 rounded down)
- 3 general councillors
If 7 councillors:
- 3 Māori councillors (3.16 rounded down)
- 4 general councillors
If 8 councillors:
- 4 Māori councillors (3.61 rounded up)
- 4 general councillors
A democratic system requires financial support to work and different structures will have slightly different cost implications mostly in terms of back-office support.
The cost of paying elected members will not change. That is because the remuneration of elected members is set independently by the Remuneration Authority based on a variety of factors including population size and expenditure of the council. The same “pot” of money set by the Remuneration Authority is shared out between more or fewer elected members.
Check out the Community Boards page on the LGNZ website
At the next local government elections in 2025.
No, Māori wards were adopted by Ōpōtiki District Council in December 2023 and must be in place for our local government elections in 2025. Part of this review process is deciding the most fair and effective structure with Māori wards in place.
The Local Government Act requires councils to provide opportunities for Māori to contribute to the decision-making process and consider ways to enhance Māori capacity to contribute to decision-making (and other obligations). This is in recognition of Māori as tangata whenua and the Crown’s partner in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Local Electoral Act requires Councils to enable fair and effective representation for individuals and communities. It is up to each council to choose the most appropriate and effective form of Māori representation for their population - taking into account the needs and preferences of their Māori partners and the wider community.
Māori Wards
No. Once elected, all elected members, from General or Māori wards, take a formal oath to represent the entire district.
No. The Māori ward elected members could whakapapa to any iwi. Under the formal oath they will represent all community members.
Māori wards are one way to increase Māori participation in decision-making, but they do not replace other ways including working to develop partnership agreements with mana whenua iwi and hapu groups within the Opotiki District.
If you're of Māori descent, you can enroll in either the General or Māori electoral rolls. If you're not of Māori descent, you can only enrol in the General electoral roll.
Head to the Electoral Commission website for more information on electoral rolls.
