Council begins review of district representation
The council is inviting feedback on initial proposals to consider the representation of councillors on community boards, renaming of a community board subdivision, and whether the district’s four Māori ward councillors should represent specific geographic areas.
The council is inviting feedback on initial proposals to consider the representation of councillors on community boards, renaming of a community board subdivision, and whether the district’s four Māori ward councillors should represent specific geographic areas.
The Arotake Whakaahuatanga Tangata / Representation Review 2024 occurs at least every six years to ensure the council's governance structure fairly and effectively represents the Far North’s diverse communities.
Topics under consideration include changes to the Māori ward, Ngā Tai o Tokerau. Presently, this ward has four councillors elected from the entire district. The council would like to know whether the community’s needs would be better served by dividing the Māori ward into different geographic areas (up to four) that Māori ward councillors represent.
The number of councillors appointed to community boards with voting rights is also being considered. Currently, each community board (Bay of Islands-Whangaroa, Kaikohe-Hokianga and Te Hiku) has one councillor appointed with voting rights. Would increasing the number of councillors with voting rights provide fairer and more effective representation on community boards?
The council would also like feedback on the name of the Whatuwhiwhi subdivision of the Te Hiku community board, which includes the area of Awanui. A proposed name change to Karikari Awanui subdivision is under consideration, and residents are encouraged to provide feedback on its suitability, suggest alternative names, or indicate that the current name should remain.
To have your say on these important questions, complete the survey at www.fndc.govt.nz/repreview. Feedback must be received by Sunday 31 March 2024.
An initial proposal will be developed based on this feedback. The community will have another chance to share their views during the next stage of consultation in May-June 2024. Any changes to the way the district is represented will be adopted by the council in August 2024.
Community involvement in this review will help shape the future governance structure of the Far North District Council and ensure that it accurately reflects the needs of residents across the district.