South Taranaki District Council seeking views on representation review

South Taranaki District Council is seeking the views of residents on its representation review. Photo / NZME

South Taranaki District Council is calling for residents to contribute to its representation review, which will determine the numbers and makeup of representatives around the council table.

Conducted every six years, the representation review's purpose is to determine how many councillors there should be and if they represent specific wards, as well as how the council's new Māori ward(s) will look.

There are several arrangements a representation review can consider, such as whether councillors are elected through specific wards as at present, or if representatives are elected "at large" by the entire district.

There are also questions surrounding how the council will look to implement one or several designated Māori seats, after the council voted unanimously in November in favour of Māori representation.

The council's corporate services group manager, Marianne Archibald, said engagement from the community was important to ensure the process was truly representative.

"The review follows a very prescriptive process, which offers several opportunities for the public to be involved before a final proposal is sent to the Local Government Commission for approval," Archibald said.

An initial round of consultation began last week, where residents could engage in informal pre-consultation. This round of consultation continues until July 9, by which point the council will decide on its initial proposal.

"In this initial round of consultation, as a starting point we are asking our residents what they think about three options for our general wards and two for our Māori ward(s); however, there are many other possibilities that could be considered," Archibald said.

"Based on the feedback we receive the council will identify a preferred option, called an initial proposal, which we will formally consult on in late July."

Residents can give their feedback on the council website southtaranaki.com, or by visiting the council building or one of the seven LibraryPlus centres in the district.