Hastings Council: Flaxmere ward loses a councillor, Maori wards decision

Flaxmere ward councillors Henare O'Keefe and Peleti Oli. Photo / Supplied

A final decision has been made on what shape Hastings District Council will take during the local body elections in October which includes axing one Flaxmere ward councillor.

The council decided last year to introduce Māori ward councillors.

A lengthy process to determine the best way to reshuffle the council and introduce those new councillors concluded on Wednesday, when the Local Government Commission returned its final decision and approved the council's proposal.

The council will be expanded from 15 councillors (including the mayor) to 16 councillors (including the mayor) during the local body election on October 8.

One seat from the Flaxmere ward and one seat from the Hastings/Havelock North ward will be axed, while three Māori ward councillors will be introduced.

A last-ditch attempt was made in February to keep two Flaxmere ward councillors which proved the biggest sticking point in the process.

However, the commission agreed it was best to reduce that ward to one councillor.

"While the Flaxmere electoral population is clearly a distinct community of interest, it is not sufficiently large to justify two councillors under the council's proposal while also preserving reasonably fair representation for electors across the district," the determination read.

The new Māori ward will be known as the Takitimu Māori Ward.

It comes as long-standing Flaxmere ward councillor Henare O'Keefe announced earlier this year he would not be running again for council in October.

He told Hawke's Bay Today when making that announcement that losing a Flaxmere ward councillor would be his biggest regret if it went ahead.