Carterton District Council [CDC] is currently reviewing whether its representation arrangement of eight councillors and a mayor is fit for purpose.
Three options have been chosen to go to the public for feedback in May: status quo; having an urban and rural ward with five and three councillors respectively; or dividing the wards into urban [three councillors], rural [two councillors], and at large [three councillors].
A Representation Review is a statutory requirement for all councils and must be done every six years.
CDC completed two stages of the review last year that involved choosing the voting system and considering a Māori ward for the 2025 and 2028 elections.
The status quo was maintained in both instances.
A report to council, which meets on Wednesday, said a workshop was held last week to narrow 10 possible representation structures down to the three listed above.
“This third stage of the review will ask the community for its thoughts on representation for the 2025 and 2028 elections,” the report said.
This includes community consideration of representation arrangements, number of wards, ward boundaries, number of elected members, and the establishment of community boards.
The report said the rural sector has been identified as a “community of interest” that needs to be considered as part of the review to ensure appropriate representation.
The preliminary consultation opens on May 6 and runs to May 26.
CDC will adopt a proposal for formal consultation on June 26.
Hearings and deliberations will be held on August 20 and a final proposal will be adopted on September 18.
A CDC spokesperson said the council is looking forward to hearing from the community on the three options that will shape the final proposal later in the year.
“Ensuring we have fair and effective representation is essential.” -NZLDR
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