Submissions on Whanganui District Council representation review to open on July 2

The Whanganui District Council is inviting feedback on how many elected members it should have. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui District Council wants to hear from the public about how many councillors should be elected in the 2025 and 2028 local body elections.

Legislation requires councils to review representation arrangements at least once every six years to ensure fair and effective community representation. Whanganui District Council last reviewed its representation in 2018, with a review required before the next local body elections in October 2025.

From Tuesday, July 2, residents can submit feedback on the council’s proposal to retain 12 councillors - to comprise 10 general ward councillors and two Māori ward councillors - and the Whanganui Rural Community Board.

Residents enrolled on the general electoral roll could elect 10 general electoral ward councillors, and residents enrolled on the Māori electoral roll could elect two Māori electoral ward councillors – 12 councillors in total. All councillors would have full voting rights.

The mayor would still be elected by all Whanganui District voters and the community board would keep seven board members representing three rural subdivisions.

The council’s representation review working party, including Deputy Mayor Helen Craig, several elected members and council officers, evaluated possible representation arrangements and, after a community survey and information sessions, presented three options at a council meeting on Tuesday, June 25.

The working party’s preferred option, based on public feedback, to reduce the number of councillors from 12 to 10 (eight general ward councillors and two Māori ward councillors) was not adopted, with the council preferring the option of keeping the status quo of 12 councillors.

Another option in the report would have reduced the total number of councillors to 10, split between six councillors in an urban ward, two councillors from a rural ward and two councillors in a district-wide Māori ward. In this option, there would be no rural community board.

Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said it was important to submit on the proposal.

“This is an important consultation as the outcome will affect how the council will represent its community for the next two local body elections, in 2025 and 2028. We want to ensure that we have chosen an option appropriate for our district and to be certain that all our communities of interest are represented effectively.”

In October 2023, the council decided to establish Māori wards, effective for the 2025 and 2028 elections.

Since then, the coalition Government announced that councils must either conduct a binding referendum during the 2025 local elections if they created Māori wards without a poll, or reverse their decision to establish a Māori ward.

The Government introduced the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill to Parliament on May 20.

The council is not able to make any decisions under these provisions until the bill is enacted, which is likely to be next month. The representation review report presented at the council’s June 25 meeting was based on the council retaining its Māori wards.

The total amount of remuneration paid to councillors would not reduce if there were fewer councillors. Councillors’ remuneration is based on a fixed pool of funds set independently by the Remuneration Authority and does not increase or decrease based on the number of councillors – the total is divided between the number of elected members. Community boards are funded through a targeted rate.

Once public submissions have been considered, the council is expected to formally adopt its final representation arrangement at a meeting in September. After an appeal period, Te Mana Kāwanatanga ā Rohe Local Government Commission will decide the district’s future representation.

Submissions will close on Sunday, August 4. More information will be available on the Have Your Say page on the council website from Tuesday, July 2.