Media release
22 October 2009
Waitakere Ward and local board boundary preferences outlined to Local Government Commission
A new Waitakere Ward stretching from Muriwai to Blockhouse Bay has been suggested by Waitakere City Council in its
‘initial input’ to the Local Government Commission on the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.
To better reflect the region’s communities of interest, the council wants the commission to consider creating a ward
extending north to include Muriwai, Huapai, Kumeu and Riverhead, and east to include Avondale and the area between the
present Avondale Community Board’s eastern boundary and Carrington Road.
The ward would be represented by four councillors on the new Auckland Council, and divided into five local boards of no
fewer than six members each, comprising:
• Waitakere Local Board - including the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area and foothills of the Ranges, Waitakere
Township and Swanson, with the additional area of Muriwai in the present Rodney District;
• Massey Local Board - centred on the new town centre under development at Westgate and extending to include
Waimauku, Kumeu-Huapai and Riverhead in Rodney;
• Henderson Local Board - centred on the existing Henderson town centre and extending to include Western Heights
and Glendene as far as Hepburn Rd;
• New Lynn Local Board - centred on the regenerating town centre of New Lynn and its new transport interchange as
well as Glen Eden and Kelston;
• Avondale Local Board - centred on Avondale town centre and including Blockhouse Bay (the current Avondale ward
of Auckland City).
In areas with larger populations the council would support more than six representatives.
“The multi-member ward option would give transparency to the new governance arrangements by creating more opportunity
for representation of the West’s diverse interests and groups,” says Waitakere City Councillor Janet Clews.
“It will also mean electors have more choice, leading to increased voter satisfaction about making a meaningful
contribution to the management and shaping of region,” she says.
“Councillors must act in the interests of Auckland as a whole but having four elected from a single ward would enable
the workload to be shared, give some scope for specialisation and provide multiple points of contact for the community.
The population of the new Waitakere ward is estimated to be 241,110 (Census 2006).
“There are very strong links to Waitakere in West Rodney and Avondale, so it makes sense to include them in a new
all-encompassing ward,” she says.
“Many of the people living in these communities travel, work, shop or go to school here and have strong links to this
area.”
The full document can be downloaded from www.waitakere.govt.nz