Change to Rangitikei District Council ward structure from 5 to 3
Prior to this year’s local body elections in October Rangitikei has reviewed its ward structure and made changes to the
number of wards and boundaries. Rangitikei will now be comprised of the Northern, Central, and Southern Wards.
Here are the key changes:
• The ward structure will reduce from 5 to 3. Taihape (slightly expanded becomes the Northern Ward), Hunterville
and Marton combine to be the Central Ward Bulls, and Turakina combine to be the Southern Ward
• The number of elected councillors remains the same at 11 - with 3 councillors elected by the electors of the
Northern ward; 5 councillors elected by the electors of Central Ward; and 3 councillors elected by the electors of the
Southern Ward
• The Ratana and Taihape Community Boards will continue as now: each have four elected members together with (for
Ratana) one member appointed from the Southern Ward and with (for Taihape0 two members from the Northern Ward.
Background
All local authorities are required by the Local Electoral Act 2001 to review representation arrangements at least every
six years. These reviews look at the number of councillors to be elected, the basis of election for councillors, and if
this includes wards, the boundaries and names of those wards.
Reviews also include whether there are to be community boards, and if so, membership arrangements for those boards.
The boundaries of the wards and communities must align with the current statistical boundaries as determined by
Statistics New Zealand.
Maps of the new wards
Maps of the wards will be available on our website and made widely available in the leadup to the local body elections.
Process
The process to change current ward structure must be approved by the Local Government Commission (LGC). There were 4
appeals to the LGC against the Council’s final proposal, but after hearing the appeals LGC upheld Rangitikei District
Council’s proposal. The appeals centred around ensuring that smaller communities were adequately and fairly represented
in the new ward structure.
However, it was determined by LGC that the new ward structure would be unlikely to disadvantage smaller rural
communities, particularly given that the community board at Ratana and the community committees at Turakina and
Hunterville would continue.