The proposed electorate changes will affect Tauranga and Bay of Plenty (to be renamed Mt Maunganui). Graphic / Representation Commission
The proposed electorate changes will affect Tauranga and Bay of Plenty (to be renamed Mt Maunganui). Graphic / Representation Commission
Ōropi becoming part of the Rotorua electorate has made one local voter “a bit upset”, while Lower Kaimai moving to the Tauranga electorate has been labelled a “big win” by another voter.
Major changes to Tauranga, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua electorate boundaries for the 2026 election mean theTauranga electorate shifts west, while the Bay of Plenty electorate will now include Mount Maunganui and be renamed the Mount Maunganui electorate.
Te Puna, Minden, Wairoa, Lower Kaimai, Tauriko West and more of The Lakes and Pyes Pā will be in the Tauranga electorate, while the Mount Maunganui electorate also includes Pāpāmoa, Welcome Bay, Hairini, Maungatapu, Ōhauiti, Waimapu and Poike.
Forty-nine general and three Māori electorate boundaries were adjusted nationally.
Belk Rd resident Molly Powell said the decision to move the Lower Kaimai into the Tauranga electorate, not Rotorua as originally proposed, was “a big win for the people”.
She said more than 20 people made written submissions, and “common sense” had prevailed.
“Nobody in this area was happy to be part of the Rotorua electorate. It’s a credit to the Representation Commission that took note of our local knowledge of the area.”
Longstanding Ōropi resident Richard Somerfield said he was a “bit upset” to learn he would live in the Rotorua electorate at the next election.
“Over the years, we’ve had Tony Ryall, Todd Muller and more recently Tom Rutherford as our MPs, and now we’ll all have to get used to working with another MP from Rotorua.
“It’s a long way to drive to Rotorua, and it’s not somewhere I’ve regularly visited over the years.”
Somerfield said he believed this boundary change would be temporary and the Western Bay of Plenty district population could argue a case for its own electorate.
Mount Maunganui Ratepayers, Residents and Retailers Association president Michael O'Neill. Photo / Alex Cairns
Mount Maunganui Ratepayers, Residents and Retailers Association president Michael O’Neill said the shift and name change made perfect sense.
“It’s appropriate as Mount Maunganui is a prominent part of the Bay of Plenty and quite iconic. I think it’s the jewel in the crown of the Bay of Plenty, and that’s already been acknowledged.
“And lots of people already say they are heading to Mount Maunganui when they visit our city.”
Rotorua MP Todd McClay. Photo /NZME
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the extension of the current boundary around Ōropi was similar to the change more than a decade ago.
“I hold meetings in the area, as recently as a month or so ago, and will work with the Mount Maunganui and Tauranga electorate offices to make sure our local residents continue to be well-served.
“This is a beautiful part of the Bay of Plenty. I feel extremely privileged to be able to be their MP when the changes are made.
“I pledge to work hard for them and all other parts of the electorate equally.”
Kaimai ward councillor Don Thwaites. Photo / Alex Cairns
Western Bay of Plenty District councillor Don Thwaites said at a meeting last week some Te Puna residents expressed frustrations with another boundary change.
“But, personally, I don’t have an issue with being in the Tauranga electorate. ”
The Kaimai ward councillor currently represents Te Puna and Kaimai communities.
He said this was the fourth electorate boundary change since he moved to the area 50 years ago, and it would likely change again in 10 to 20 years, with the Western Bay of Plenty getting its own electorate.
Kaimai ward councillor Margaret Murray-Benge said it wasn’t the electorate boundaries that mattered, but who the elected MPs were.
“I’m sure that our three hardworking MPs, Sam Uffindell, Tom Rutherford and Todd McClay, will continue to work well together to achieve the best results for our communities.”
Uffindell said he was “excited” at the opportunity to represent the new areas of his electorate.
“The good people of Te Puna, Minden, The Lakes and all other new parts of the Tauranga electorate should know I will stand up for them. I can’t wait to get to know these new communities better.”
In a Facebook post, Rutherford said he would continue “working hard” for all the communities across the entire electorate.
“There’s still so much work to do together, and I’m 100% committed to giving my all for our community.”
Representation Commission chair Judge Kevin Kelly said the “relatively major changes” to the three electorates around Tauranga city were to address the “under-populated” Rotorua electorate.
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.
