Hutt City Councillors have decided to keep the current way of electing councillors and how residents are represented by community boards and panels.

At the 9 October full Council meeting, Councillors considered nine submissions it received on its initial proposal for representation arrangements.

Council’s representation review centred on how Council is elected and second tier representation (community boards and panels) in time for the October 2019 local government elections. It involved extensive consultation, including three surveys of Lower Hutt residents and workshops with Councillors and community board and panel members.

At the meeting, Council resolved to stay with its initial proposal. The key points of the proposal are:
• The Mayor is elected at large (by the whole city) as required by the Local Electoral Act
• Council continues to be elected by wards with two Councillors per ward and
• The three community boards – Eastbourne, Wainuiomata and Petone – remain unchanged.

Council extensively debated suggestions made through the nine submissions it received before reaching its final decision.

These proposals included having Council elected at large, like the Mayor, and having elected community boards across the entire city. One submitter suggested amalgamating the Eastbourne and Petone community boards, as they are both part of the Harbour Ward.

Another submitter argued that Pencarrow Coast Road be removed from the Wainuiomata Ward and included in the Harbour Ward.

Acting Mayor David Bassett says submissions were well thought out and provided much for Councillors to debate.

“This review is central to how democracy works in Lower Hutt so it was heartening so much effort was put into the submissions.”

Appeals to Council’s decision
The final public notice advising people of Council’s decision is in the public notice section of the 23 October 2018 edition of Hutt News.

Any person who made a submission on Council’s initial proposal may lodge an appeal against Council’s decision. An appeal must relate to the matters raised in that person’s submission.

Appeals must be made in writing. They are to be forwarded to:
The Chief Executive
Hutt City Council
Private Bag 31912
Lower Hutt, 5012

Alternatively, you can email your appeal to submission@huttcity.govt.nz

Note: Appeals by email must indicate clearly in the subject line that the email is a representation review appeal against Council’s decision to retain the current representation arrangements for the local elections to be held on 12 October 2019.

Appeals must be received by Council no later than Tuesday 20 November 2018.

© Scoop Media