Tauranga City residents will have a new system to vote under when the election rolls around two years from now.
People will now vote for one councillor that is standing in their local ward or the Māori ward and a mayor.
The new representation model that sought to address an 'historic failure” to represent all of Tauranga's communities, was confirmed by the Local Government Commission today.
Under the single member ward model, the city is divided into eight geographical wards Mauao/Mount Maunganui, Arataki, Pāpāmoa, Welcome Bay, Matua-Ōtūmoetai, Bethlehem, Tauriko and Te Papa.
Te Awanui, the Māori ward covers the entire city and the mayor will be elected at large. Establishing a Māori ward is a first for Tauranga.
Tauranga City Council commission chair Anne Tolley says: 'This arrangement recognises that there are distinct geographical communities within Tauranga and that it's important they are represented around the council table”.
The decision has been made after a hearing in March, where the commissioners presented their reasons for the model to the Local Government Commission.
Commission chair Anne Tolley. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.
During the hearing Tolley said the model was simpler than the previous one and encouraged 'greater representation between councillors and community groups”.
'Historic failure to ensure that there was representation from across the city has led to community frustration,” she said.
The commission had heard from people who 'felt they'd been ignored by previous councils” during the long term plan engagement, said Tolley.
The former representation arrangement had a model of 10 councillors and a mayor. There were three general wards with two positions available in each, four at large positions and the mayor.
A number of appellants and objectors also presented their concerns at the hearing.
Most submitters wanted to retain at least some of the at large councillor positions and others preferred the status quo.
Tolley told the Local government Commissioners the now confirmed arrangement 'allowed the ward councillors to effectively represent the views of people in their electoral area”.
Tauranga City will be the only council not holding an election on October 8 this year.
On March 14 Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced a commission will remain in place until July 2024.
She appointed the current commission in February 2020 after deposing the elected members for 'significant governance problems”.
An election will now take place in July 2024.
Tolley says the newly elected members will come together to make decisions on behalf of all the residents.
'We believe this [representation] arrangement will give the incoming council in 2024 the best chance of success.”
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
4 comments
Maori Ward
Posted on 07-04-2022 20:17 | By Centurion
With the establishment of a city-wide Maori ward, is there any longer a need for Maori committees and advisory groups within Council?
Ridiculous, in my opinion
Posted on 07-04-2022 21:12 | By Let's get real
What happens if we have four or five highly qualified candidates in one ward and less experienced people in all other wards...? We're expected to accept a council which may never have the abilities to understand and run a bath let alone a developing city. Let the best candidates shine through surrounding dross without any favouritism.
Finally!
Posted on 08-04-2022 07:21 | By crazyhorse
Finally, Mahuta's commissioners have done what they were sent to do in the first place 'remove democracy' and establish a Maori ward the fantasy told that this is to give all members of the community a say in council is just that fantasy, anyone thinking that public submissions will account for anything is deluding themselves this is how governance will be implemented around NZ under Ardern and the Maori caucus from here on in, just look at what is happening in Rotorua, Tamati Coffee has introduced a bill to parliament that will give 19,000 on the Maori Roll elect 1 or 3 members and 2.6X on General Roll elect the same numbers then they have 2.6 times the voting power. Voter parity in co-governance displaces equal suffrage/ proportional representation in democracies.
Thinking was absent
Posted on 08-04-2022 11:33 | By Old Bloke
Leaving out the 10 councilors fighting their own corner. Did anyone think about the future? Councilors to be reinstalled by an election in 2024!! So nobody with any local body politics experience for at least 4 years.. Then they get elected for 12 months Due to another local body election in 2025.another election in 2025! You can imagine the newbies trying to learn what's happening at the same time electioneering/showboating for the next 12 months. To quote somebody. What a cock up.
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