Representation review

Representation review determination

On 6 April 2022, the Local Government Commission determined the representation arrangements that will apply to the 2022 Hastings District Council local elections. Find the final determination here.

Final Proposal

On 14 October 2021, after hearing and consideration of submissions, the Council resolved to confirm its initial proposal as the Council’s final proposal for its representation arrangements for the 2022 local government election.

Representation arrangements

Council Representation

It is proposed that the Council comprise 15 members elected from six wards, and the Mayor.

The six wards reflect the following identified communities of interest:

The number of members per ward and the population that each member will represent is as follows:

# Differences in Statistics New Zealand rounding
^ Indicative purposes only

Note: The number of Māori ward Councillors is set by a formula stipulated in the Local Electoral Act 2001. Based on the size of the Māori electoral population and total electoral population, with Hastings District Council proposing to elect a total of 15 Councillors from wards, three of those Councillors must be elected from the Māori ward.

The “+/-10% Rule”

In terms of the general wards, in accordance with section 19V(2), Local Electoral Act 2001 the population that each member represents must be within the range of 5,967 +/-10% (5,370 to 6,564), unless particular community of interest considerations justify otherwise.

The representation of the Flaxmere Ward falls outside the stipulated range as it is under-represented at 14.46% deviation from the average population per councillor. The Council considers that achieving compliance with the +/-10% range in relation to the Flaxmere Ward would require either merging the Flaxmere Ward into the Hastings-Havelock North Ward or shifting a significant part of the ward into either the Hastings-Havelock Ward or the Heretaunga Ward. The former approach would limit effective representation of the Flaxmere community of interest by uniting it with a much larger set of communities of interests with few commonalities of interest - the Flaxmere community of interest would become diffused among a much larger population. The latter approach would limit effective representation of communities of interest by dividing the Flaxmere community of interest between two wards.

The representation for the Heretaunga Ward falls outside the stipulated range as it is over-represented at -11.18% deviation from the average population per councillor. Achieving compliance with the +/-10% range for the Heretaunga Ward would require adding parts of other communities of interest (likely urban and/or rural) to the Ward. The Council considers that would limit effective representation of communities of interest by uniting within the Heretaunga Ward communities of interest with few commonalities of interest. It would also limit effective representation of communities of interest by dividing the urban and/or rural communities of interest from which those part communities of interest would be drawn.

The representation for the Kahurānaki Ward falls outside of the stipulated range as it is over-represented at -12.02% deviation from the average population per councillor. Achieving compliance with the +/-10% range for the Kahurānaki Ward would require adding parts of other communities of interest (from the Heretaunga Ward) to the Ward. The Council considers that would limit effective representation of communities of interest by dividing the horticultural and Heretaunga Plains communities of interest from which those part communities of interest would be drawn.

Community Board Representation

The Council resolved to retain the Hastings District Rural Community Board. No other community boards are proposed to be introduced.

The Hastings District Rural Community Board will elect four members from the subdivisions identified below. There will be three Councillors appointed to the Board (rather than two as per the previous arrangements). These will be:

Note: Electors from both the general and Māori electoral rolls vote for the community board.

The community will be divided into four for electoral purposes. The four subdivisions will be:

 The population that the member of each subdivision will represent is shown below:

Subdivision

The population each member of the Hastings District Rural Community Board represents falls within the range of 3,143 +/-10% (3,457 to 2,829) in accordance with section 19V(2), Local Electoral Act.

Boundary adjustments

The Final Proposal contains a number of boundary adjustments from existing arrangements that affect some of the General Wards and Rural Community Board electoral subdivisions:

Adjustments to Council general electoral ward boundaries

1. The Council’s earlier decision to introduce a Māori ward or wards is reflected in the introduction of the Takitimu Māori Ward. Feedback from community engagement has suggested one ward electing three Councillors is the preferred option.
2. Proposed boundary change (view map) - Meshblocks bordering Ōmāhu Road on the southern side and one meshblock bordering Ōmāhu Road on the northern side are proposed to be shifted from the Flaxmere Ward into the Heretaunga Ward. This area is seen as having greater commonalities with the Heretaunga Ward due to it comprising largely industrial properties and being similar to the northern side of Ōmāhu Road which is in the Heretaunga Ward. This adjustment is viewed as providing more effective representation of the area. The proposed boundary adjustment also helps address fair representation issues.
3. Proposed boundary changes (view map) – the areas comprising the Gracelands Retirement complex (corner Lyndhurst and Pākōwhai Roads), the Summerset Retirement complex (Ada Street) and the Sir James Wattie Retirement complex (Te Aute Road) are proposed to be shifted from the Heretaunga Ward into the Hastings-Havelock North Ward. These areas are residential and urban in nature and are seen as having greater commonalities with the other urban areas of the Hastings-Havelock North Ward. This adjustment is viewed as providing more effective representation of these areas.
4. Proposed boundary change (view map) – the area known as the ‘Ngātarawa Triangle’, largely bounded by State Highway 50, Ngātarawa Road and Maraekākaho Road near Bridge Pā is proposed to be shifted from the Kahurānaki Ward to the Heretaunga Ward. This area is predominantly used for viticultural and horticultural purposes and is seen as having stronger commonalities with the other vineyard and horticultural land uses on the Heretaunga Plains. These commonalities were viewed as stronger than those with the predominant rural land uses in the Kahurānaki Ward. This adjustment is viewed as providing more effective representation of this area.
5. Proposed boundary change (view map) – the Ōmāhu Village meshblocks previously in the Mohaka Ward are proposed to be shifted from the Mohaka Ward to the Heretaunga Ward. This area is seen as having stronger commonalities with the other half of the Ōmāhu Village (located in the Heretaunga Ward) than with the predominant rural land uses in the Mohaka Ward. This adjustment is viewed as providing more effective representation of this area.

Adjustments to Rural Community Board Subdivision boundaries

1. Tūtira Subdivision – Boundaries unchanged
2. Kaweka Subdivision – To align with the changes to the Mōhaka Ward boundary for Council representation as described above, two meshblocks comprising part of the Ōmahu Village are proposed to be moved out of the Kaweka Subdivision and the Rural Community Board area (view map).
3. Maraekākaho Subdivision – To align with the changes to the Kahurānaki Ward boundary for Council representation as described above, meshblocks comprising the ‘Ngātarawa Triangle' area (largely bounded by State Highway 50, Ngātarawa Road and Maraekākaho Road) are proposed to be moved out of the Maraekākaho Subdivision and the Rural Community Board area. In addition, to achieve fair representation, two meshblocks comprising Paki Paki are shifted from the Poukawa Subdivision into the Maraekākaho Subdivision. This adjustment is not seen as limiting or detracting from effective representation of communities of interest (view map).
4. Poukawa Subdivision – as above two meshblocks comprising Paki Paki are shifted from the Poukawa Subdivision into the Maraekākaho Subdivision. This adjustment is not seen as limiting or detracting from effective representation of communities of interest (view map).

The Final Proposal can also be viewed at the Flaxmere, Hastings and Havelock North Libraries and the Civic Administration Building, 207 Lyndon Road East, Hastings.

Lodge an appeal

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

Appeals must be made in writing and must be received by Council no later than 26 November 2021.

Appeals should be forwarded to:

Attention – Vicki Rusbatch, Senior Advisor: Democracy and Governance

• Delivery - Council Offices, 207 Lyndon Road East, Hastings.
• Post – Hastings District Council, Private Bag 9002, Hastings 4156
• Email – representationreview@hdc.govt.nz

Or can be made via www.myvoicemychoice.co.nz

In accordance with the provisions of the Local Electoral Act 2001, following the close of Appeals, the Council will forward all Appeals and other relevant information to the Local Government Commission for determination.

Further information

• Background information on the Representation Review Final Proposal can be viewed via the following links:
  Council Agenda Report – 14 October 2021 and attachments
  Submissions – Volume 1 and Volume 2
  Resolution of the Hastings District Council Meeting – 14 October 2021
  Public Notice (Hawke’s Bay Today 20/10/21)

• The Council has adopted the above arrangements as its Final Proposal for the 2022 local government elections. 
• Individuals or organisations who made submissions on the Initial Proposal are entitled to appeal the Final Proposal
  
• There is no general right of objection.
• Closing date for appeals is Friday, 26 November 2021.
• Enquiries relating to the Hastings District Council Representation Review can be made to Vicki Rusbatch on Telephone 06 871 5000 or via email representationreview@hdc.govt.nz.

Initial proposal

On 26 August 2021, the Hastings District Council resolved its initial proposal for the Council and Rural Community Board for the 2022 local government election.

View the public notice here.

Submissions on the initial proposal closed on 1 October 2021.