ADJUSTMENTS are proposed to the boundaries of five Maori electorates. In the change the people from Ngati Maniapoto from the Tainui electorate would join the people of Ngati Raukawa in the Te Tai Hauauru electorate. Voters around Hamilton will have a proposed new electorate to replace Tainui, to be named Pare Hauraki-PareWaikato. And in Tamaki Makaurau the population from the southern part of Manurewa would shift to the new Pare Hauraki-Pare Waikato electorate. Te Tai Tonga will move southwards to a line from east to west through the Hutt Valley. Ikaroa-Rawhiti will extend to the western hills of the Hutt Valley to include Taita and Naenae. The proposed electorate boundaries are now available for public comment and objections and counter objections will be taken into account by the Representation Commission. The public have until June 5 to review the proposed boundaries and make objections. Representation Commission chairman Judge Bernard Kendall said the commission's role was to review the electorate boundaries to ensure the population in each was broadly the same. In general, boundaries have been adjusted to reflect the strong growth in population in Auckland and the slower growth in the central North Island and the lower part of the South Island, Judge Kendall said. The commission had tried to retain existing electorate boundaries and avoid splitting small communities. Any changes must be based on the reasons for the proposed boundary changes before they made an objection. The proposed boundaries can be viewed at www.elections.org.nz, libraries, Registrar of Electors' offices, council offices or council service centres, Te Puni Kokiri regional offices, Maori Land Court and runanga offices.
