Possible long wait for Te Awahou/Foxton community board to meet

Te Awahou Foxton Community Board 2022-2025: David Roache, Trevor Chambers, cr and deputy mayor David Allan, Mayor Bernie Wanden, Nola Fox, Brett Russell, John Girling.

Foxton's new Community Board has been inaugurated, but its members may have to wait until well into December before it can hold its first meeting. While they may be raring to go, procedural matters need to be dealt with first, such as who will represent the council on the board.

The full Horowhenua District Council will hold its first meeting on November 16, at which a decision will need to be made about who will represent the council at the community board.

While in the past both Kere Kere Ward councillors had been part of the board, it was decided in last year's representation review to reduce number this to one.

The representation review decides on the number of wards and the number of councillors to be elected per ward as well as the number of people to be elected to the community board.

As the new Horowhenua (Māori) Ward is covering the entire district and its voters - those on the Māori roll - also vote for the membership of Te Awahou Foxton Community Board, a total of four councillors should be eligible to be on the board, though a spokesperson for Local Government New Zealand had his doubts about their eligibility.

As long as the appointed number of councillors to the board is below the number of elected members, the law allows for four appointed members, he said, though Horowhenua has now restricted their number to one.

The determination issued 6 April 2022 by the Local Government Commission, which decides on electoral boundaries and makes the final decisions on representation, stated that two councillors be appointed to the community board. At the time no reason for overruling the council decision was given.

The Local Government Commission, has since clarified that only one councillor is eligible to be on Te Awahou Community Board and they must represent the Kere Kere Ward.

Its amended determination states: "Te Awahou Foxton Community Board will comprise five elected members and one member representing Kere Kere General Ward appointed to the community board by the council."

The next Representation Review, will be in either 2024 or 2027, where changes can be proposed.

Elected to the board were David Roache, Trevor Chambers, Nola Fox, Brett Russell and John Girling.

At their first meeting, they will need to decide who will be chair and deputy chair. Then they can go to work.