Changes to electoral arrangements, Government-mandated consultation on the way

Published: 8 July 2024

Napier City Council is considering its future democratic arrangements, with the Representation Review now out for community consultation.

The consultation includes proposing to reduce Council size by one councillor and change Napier’s electoral ward configurations. This involves reducing from four general wards to three, with boundary changes estimated to affect between 7,500 and 8,000 residences.

Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan says the proposed new arrangements are in line with community expectations signalled in two recent public surveys.

“What we heard from residents was a level of comfort with a slightly smaller, yet focused Council.” The most recent Representation Review survey also asked residents for their views on whether to introduce councillors-at-large. Two options put to the community that included at-large councillors were the least preferred out of five options proposed.

“The community survey aligns with our view that the current ward-only system is still fit-for-purpose for Napier,” says Deputy Mayor Brosnan.

Introducing a community board for Maraenui and surrounding areas was also considered by Council, however this has not been included in the proposal.

“We believe there are other ways to maintain and strengthen community representation within Napier, without adding a further layer of bureaucracy. This view was supported by Council’s Māori Committee, Ngā Mānukanuka o te Iwi,” says Deputy Mayor Brosnan.

“Local democracy is all about representing our residents. I encourage everyone to let us know what they think about these proposals.”

The Representation Review consultation is on sayitnapier.nz. Submissions must be received by 9am, Thursday 8 August.

By law, the Representation Review must be completed at least every six years. Napier City Council had to decide before 31 July on the proposal to present to the community. Alongside this, Government legislation expected in late July is likely to mandate councils to proactively revisit any previous decision to create Māori wards. Napier City Council made a decision in 2021 to introduce Māori wards at the 2025 election, but with the proposed legislation, this will have to be reconsulted on and a new decision made by 6 September.

A date for the Government-mandated consultation on whether to rescind the 2021 decision will be decided on in the coming days.

Deputy Mayor Brosnan says the timing of the Government’s required consultation, which is coincidentally timed with the already-scheduled Representation Review, means residents will be asked to answer questions over the coming weeks that appear to conflict.

“It’s important that people understand our proposal includes a Māori ward because that’s what Council decided on in 2021. The Government’s proposed legislation compels us to check back with the community to see if they agree with that decision.”

“This is the start of an important community conversation. I encourage everyone to read the information and get involved with this decision-making process when the consultation opens,” says Deputy Mayor Brosnan.

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