20 November 2019

Representation Commission

Te Komihana Whakatau Rohe Pōti

The Representation Commission is proposing changes to half of New Zealand’s electorates and establishing a new electorate in south Auckland.

The Commission has released its report today on the proposed boundaries and names of electorates for the next two general elections. The public will now be able to have their say before the boundaries are finalised in April 2020.

“Where possible the current boundaries have been retained to minimise the number of people affected by electorate boundary and name changes. Of the 71 existing electorates, 36 are unchanged. The adjustments in other electorates reflect changes in population since 2014 when the boundaries were last reviewed,” says Representation Commission chair Judge Craig Thompson.

The biggest areas of change are in the Auckland region, Christchurch, and Otago and Southland.

“In the Auckland region, the total number of general electorates increases from 24 to 25. The new electorate we’ve proposed is called Flat Bush. It takes in parts of the existing Hunua, Manurewa and Papakura electorates,” says Judge Thompson.

“Boundary changes are needed to electorates in the Christchurch area because of significant population growth in Selwyn, which is the fastest growing electorate in the country.”

In Otago and Southland, adjustments are needed to the boundaries of the Waitaki, Dunedin North, Dunedin South, Clutha-Southland and Invercargill electorates.

More detail on all the proposed changes is available online at vote.nz and in the Proposed Electorates 2019 report available at libraries, council offices, Electoral Commission offices and Te Puni Kōkiri regional offices.

“We encourage people to have a closer look at the changes and what it means for them. The public can make objections on the proposed boundaries and names until 20 December,” says Judge Thompson. There will be a counter-objections period from 10 to 24 January, and public hearings will be held in February.

The main changes that have been proposed by the Representation Commission are:

North Island general electorates

• Rodney is redrawn to include Dairy Flat and Coatesville, and renamed Whangaparāoa

• Helensville is extended into Northland, Rodney (now Whangaparāoa) and Upper Harbour, and loses the Waitakere Ranges to New Lynn

• The addition of population to New Lynn from the north means changes are also required to Mt Roskill, Maungakiekie, Manukau East, and Manurewa

• Flat Bush is created by drawing population from the existing electorates of Hunua, Manurewa and Papakura and includes Wattle Downs and Takanini

• Population from Waikato is added to Hunua which is renamed Port Waikato. Adjustments are also made to the boundaries of Waikato with Coromandel, Hamilton West and Taupō

• Adjustments are also made to the boundaries of Whangarei and Bay of Plenty

South Island general electorates

• Brightwater is moved from Nelson to West Coast-Tasman

• Selwyn is redrawn and no longer includes Banks Peninsula. Adjustments are also made to Ilam, Wigram, Port Hills (renamed Banks Peninsula), Christchurch East and Rangitata

• Clutha-Southland gains the Alexandra and Clyde area from Waitaki

• Otago Peninsula is moved from Dunedin South to Dunedin North, and South Otago is added to Dunedin South from Clutha-Southland

• Winton and The Catlins are added to Invercargill from Clutha-Southland.

Māori electorates

• Tāmaki Makaurau gains an area around Te Atatū South from Te Tai Tokerau and an area in East Manurewa from Hauraki Waikato

• A minor adjustment between Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and Te Tai Tonga is made in Naenae.

Names of electorates

Four electorate name changes are proposed: Rodney to Whangaparāoa, Hunua to Port Waikato, Rimutaka to Remutaka and Port Hills to Banks Peninsula.

Number of electorates

The number of electorates increases from 71 to 72. The number of general electorates in the South Island is fixed at 16, the number of general electorates in the North Island increases from 48 to 49, and the number of Māori electorates remains unchanged at seven.

Videos for use online can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/pLSXq7T_0G0 (in English) https://youtu.be/GIKjkhP2UgY (in Māori)

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1911/Representation_Commission__Kua_whakaputaina_ng_rohenga_pti_e_marohitia_ana_201119.pdf

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