Council adopts final proposal for Representation Review 2024

The council has adopted the final proposal for Te Arotake Whakaahuatanga Tangata/Representation Review 2024, addressing subdivision name changes, and community board representation for the upcoming 2025 local elections.

The final proposal   , which is now open for appeals and objections, was adopted during the 8 August council meeting. It will increase the number of councillors appointed to community boards with voting rights to two per board. This will consist of:

• Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board: one councillor from the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa General Ward, and one from the Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward.
• Te Hiku Community Board: two councillors from the Te Hiku General Ward or the Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward.
• Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board: two councillors from the Kaikohe-Hokianga General Ward or the Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward.

A proposed name change for the Whatuwhiwhi subdivision was also considered. Following a 2021 boundary change, Awanui township was moved from the North Cape subdivision into the Whatuwhiwhi subdivision, prompting a proposal to rename it as the Karikari-Awanui subdivision. After considering the 86 submissions received during the review, the council decided to retain the name of the Whatuwhiwhi subdivision.

A review of boundaries and names of subdivision areas will be considered in the next representation review with more robust consultation.

The final proposal is now open to appeals until 12 September 2024.

• Appeals: Those who submitted feedback on the initial proposal can file an appeal if they wish to challenge the proposed decision based on their original submission.
• Objections: Anyone, including those who did not previously submit feedback, can lodge an objection to contest the proposed decision.

Appeals or objections to the final proposal are received by the council and are forwarded to the Local Government Commission, an independent body. The commission may conduct hearings to consider all appeals and objections, including those from the public. After these hearings, the commission will make a final and binding determination on the representation arrangements. This process ensures that all perspectives are thoroughly considered before the final arrangements are confirmed.

For more details on the final proposal or to lodge an appeal, visit the Representation Review webpage.