Representation Review

Submissions are now closed for the Representation Review.

Local representation can take many forms, with Council, community or business led options being a positive way to advocate for their communities and local areas.

• Rural Advisory group: This could provide the Council with a rural perspective on issues associated with Council services affecting rural communities. This could ensure that the rural perspective is taken into account for Council policy decisions and planning. 

• Resident Advisory Committee: A group established by Council to provide feedback on council plans and in some circumstances provide direction on local targeted rates. 

• Resident Associations: Established by the community (e.g. Registered Association with limited liability) with voluntary annual membership. Advocate on behalf of local residents to Council, they often put on community events and run local initiatives. They often get annual grant funding from councils to pay for administration and running local initiatives. 

• Business Improvement Districts (BIDs): Established by businesses voting in a particular area and ratified through a business association AGM. This creates a targeted rate for the business association to enable larger long-term business lead projects.  

• Business Associations: Established by the business community with voluntary annual membership subscriptions. Advocate on behalf of local businesses and put on local events. 

• Enhanced Community Boards:  Establishing an annual local plan and provided oversight of local parks, footpaths and libraries. 

The Local Electoral Act provides different options for councils to elect their councillors. These include the following: 

1. Wards (our current system) where you only vote for candidates standing in your ward.

2. At large (district wide) meaning councillors are elected across the district, you are able to vote for all candidates and are not restricted to the candidates representing a ward. 

3. A mixed system where some councillors are elected at large and others through the ward system. 

This Initial Proposal was for option three, a mix of General Wards and at large (district wide).  The Final Proposal was for option one.

Each councillor is sworn into office to represent the best interests of the entire district. Wards are a way of splitting up the district into smaller areas what have their own unique identify and shared services. By electing councillors from General Wards, those councillors are able to advocate and represent the needs of that ward in Council.

The Mayor is always elected through a district wide vote.

As part of the reviewing representation arrangements, all councils must consider whether community boards are required and the number of elected members in each community board, regardless of whether they currently exist within the district.   

The Community Boards represents, and acts as an advocate for, the interests of the community. Specifically, the Board’s role is to: 

• consider and report on all matters referred to it by the Council, or any matter of interest or concern to the Community Board 

• maintain an overview of services provided by the Council within the community 

• prepare an annual submission to the territorial authority for expenditure within the community 

• communicate with community organisations and special interest groups within the community 

• undertake any other responsibilities that are delegated to it by the Council

This Initial & Final Proposal retained status quo for community boards for each general ward for the 2025 and 2028 local elections. 

After the Commission has made a determination on a local authority’s representation arrangement, it:

• advises the affected local authority and the appellants and objectors
• advises the news media
• advises the Surveyor-General, Government Statistician, the Remuneration Authority and the Secretary for Local Government.
• gives public notice of the determination
• where boundaries have been altered or new electoral areas are established, arranges for the preparation of plans defining those boundaries ad areas.

Remuneration for elected members (Mayor, councillors and community board members) is funded from district rates. However, these amounts are set by a government agency, the Remuneration Authority (RA). 

In the case of councillors, the RA set a fixed pool of funds which is divided between the number of elected members, according to a Council decision. This means if we had a greater number of councillors each would be paid less, and vice versa, but the total remuneration would not change.

In 2023, Council decided to retain the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system for the 2025 local election, the candidate with the most votes, wins. 

The Local Electoral Act 2002 requires all councils to review how communities are represented every six years. Representation reviews consider the number of elected representatives and the way in which they are elected.  The last representation review was in 2018.

Council, with input from South Wairarapa communities, will make the final decision about how people and communities in our District will be represented. The final decision will also be approved by the Local Government Commission.  

Wards are ways of splitting up a council area into smaller areas for election purposes. In South Wairarapa there are three wards – Greytown, Featherston and Martinborough.

‘At Large’ refers to elected representatives who are elected to represent the whole District, rather than a ward.

On 22 November 2023 Council resolved to establish a Māori Ward for the 2025 and 2028 local elections. The number of Māori Ward members that can be elected is based on a calculation in the Local Electoral Act 2001 (LEA), which factors in the number of councillors and population figures issued by Statistics New Zealand. Under this calculation South Wairarapa District is eligible for one Māori Ward member, so there will be one Māori Ward across the whole district.

Anyone can stand to be a candidate in the Māori Ward, you just need to be nominated by two people who are on the Māori electoral roll. Only those on the Māori electoral roll can vote in the Māori ward elections.

On 31 July 2024, the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 came into force. This Act reintroduces provision for binding polls on the establishment of Māori wards and requires councils which have established Māori Wards since March 2021 to either rescind their decision or hold a binding poll at the 2025 local elections. Council will make a decision on this in September.

The decision to establish a Māori ward is not part of this consultation.