Discussion Commences on Council Representation for Central Hawke's Bay
Monday 16 April 2018
The Central Hawke’s Bay District Council is encouraging the Central Hawke’s Bay community to come forward and have their say on the Representation Review.
A Representation Review helps to determine how many councillors there should be and how they represent the public. The Local Electoral Act 2001 requires all councils to review their representation arrangements at least once every 6 years.
Chief Executive Monique Davidson says “this is important because it affects the way Central Hawke’s Bay is represented in the Council. Before we develop the formal proposal, we would like to know what you think so we are asking you to get involved and give us feedback.”
Council’s present representation structure consists of a Mayor and eight Councillors. The Mayor is elected by the whole district and the Councillors are elected from two wards: Aramoana/Ruahine (4 Councillors) and Ruataniwha (4 Councillors).
The current representation structure meets the legal requirements for the number of residents per councillor in each ward to be within ±10% of the number of residents per councillor in the district as a whole.
The Representation review is a great opportunity for people to guide Councillors on what they want the representation to look like.
“Your elected members take on large responsibilities in Central Hawke’s Bay – as the board of directors of a large business; as community representatives; and as leaders. Ensuring that we have the right skills at the table as well as the right voices is crucial – a balance that can be tricky in a small district such as ours,” says Mayor Alex Walker.
Council would like to hear feedback by 7 May 2018 on:
- How many councillors there should be on Council
- Whether councillors should be elected by ward, the whole district, or a combination of both
- And if by ward, the number, boundaries and names of the ward
A feedback form is available online at www.chbdc.govt.nz or people can write to the
Representation Review
CHB District Council
P O Box 127
Waipawa 4240
or drop off their feedback at any Council service centre or library.
Responses and comments received will help Council create a formal statement of proposal, which will be out for consultation in July 2018.
A copy of the Representation Review Discussion Paper is available on www.chbdc.govt.nz.
Ends
Authorised by Chief Executive: Monique Davidson
Media contact
Monique Davidson, Chief Executive | P 06 857 8060 M 027 601 1711
17 April 2018
