Representation Review 2024

Have your say on how people and communities are represented in Council.

Every six years councils review how well people and communities are represented. A representation review addresses the total number of elected members and the way they are elected. The last representation review in Central Otago was in 2018. We currently have 28 elected members, including the mayor (1), councillors (11) and community board members (16).

Feedback on Council's initial proposal

The pre-consultation in February was the first part of a process seeking community input on representation. Council has considered the input received from that survey and developed an initial proposal. This next step, which took place in April-May provided the community an opportunity to have their say on Council's initial proposal. Council considered the input from the community and adopted the proposal on 29 April. The final step of the process will be for the Local Government Commission to verify the Council proposal. Council's proposal recommends the following changes to representation:

1. Due to population changes in some wards, the number of councillors we currently have must change. Council has proposed to reduce the number of councillors for Vincent Ward to four, keeping the number of councillors in other wards the same.
2. Council proposed that the number of councillors appointed to community boards in Vincent and Cromwell Wards be reduced from three to one. The number of elected members on community boards will not change.
3. The name of the Maniototo Community Board will not change to Māniatoto.

Why does representation review matter?

This is an important process because we want our elected members to reflect who we are. A review of how we are represented will:

• enable the community to be involved in the discussion around how we are represented
• ensure that the number of elected members suits our population and communities of interest; and
• promote confidence in local democracy and the electoral process

Key factors to consider

Council is required by the Local Electoral Act 2001 to consider three key factors when reviewing representation arrangements:

• Fair representation. Requires that each elected member represent roughly the same number of people – this helps ensure that all votes are of approximately equal value. To learn more about this, click here.
• Effective representation. Considers the number of councillors in relation to things like the size and geography of the area and the diversity of its people. Some examples include ease of access to your elected members and how well those elected members are able to represent the diverse range of people and interests in their area.
• Communities of interest. When looking at boundaries for representation Council considers 'communities of interest', which includes:
  1. A sense of belonging to an area that is distinct from other places.
  2. An ability for the community to provide services.
  3. An ability to represent the interests of the community.

How you can get involved.
Sorry, this consultation is now closed.