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
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
