Questions and answers on representation review

The Local Electoral Act 2001 requires all councils to review how communities are represented every six years.  Representation reviews consider the number of elected representatives and the way in which they are elected.  The last representation review was in 2018.

Council, with public input, will make the final decision about how individuals and communities in Central Otago will be best represented.  

Vincent and Cromwell Wards may be effected due to population changes.  Several options for changes to representation for these wards are presented in the survey.  There are no proposed changes to representation for Teviot Valley and Maniototo Wards because the population in those communities has not significantly changed.  

You can provide feedback by taking the survey by clicking on this link Feedback on Council's proposal  Hard copies will also be available at all Council offices.  

This consultation is open until 28 April 2024.

The changes will be put into place in future local elections.  

At least six but no more than 30.  We currently have 28.  

Each elected member should represent roughly the same number of people – this helps ensure that all votes are of approximately equal value.

The population of each ward, divided by the number of members to be elected by their ward, must produce a figure no more than 10% greater or smaller than the population of the district, divided by the total of elected members.  

The chart below demonstrates how this 10% policy is applied to Central Otago.  Cromwell has more people per elected member, whereas Maniototo has a fewer people per elected member.  

An election that is ‘at-large’ means that members are elected from the whole area (whether the whole district or whole community board area) and not on a ward or subdivision basis.  

The Central Otago Mayor is currently elected 'at-large'.

Wards are ways of splitting up a council area into smaller areas for election purposes. They serve the same function as electorates for national elections.  In Central Otago there are four wards, Cromwell Ward, Vincent Ward, Teviot Valley Ward and Māniatoto Ward.

The Cromwell ward encompasses both urban and rural communities. The main urban centre is Cromwell and the ward also includes the settlements of Bannockburn, Pisa Moorings, Lowburn and Tarras.

The Māniatoto ward encompasses Ranfurly, Naseby and includes the smaller settlements of Wedderburn, Oturehua, Pateraroa, Kyeburn and Waipiata.

The Teviot ward includes the towns of Roxburgh and Millers Flat and smaller settlements of Ettrick and Lake Roxburgh Village.

The Vincent ward includes urban and rural communities including Alexandra, Clyde, Letts Gully, Springvale, Poolburn, Omakau, Ophir, Becks, Lauder, St Bathans, Earnscleugh and Fruitlands.

A community board is an elected body that works locally in the specific geographic area it represents. Community boards are established in wards which cover a wide geographical area and contain groups with significantly different communities of interest.  In Central Otago there are four wards, Cromwell Ward, Vincent Ward, Teviot Valley Ward and Maniototo Ward. 

The Cromwell Community Board has seven members (four elected and three appointed from Council). The Cromwell ward encompasses both urban and rural communities. The main urban centre is Cromwell and the ward also includes the settlements of Bannockburn, Pisa Moorings, Lowburn and Tarras.

The Maniototo Community Board has five members (four elected and one appointed from Council). The Maniatoto ward encompasses Ranfurly, Naseby and includes the smaller settlements of Wedderburn, Oturehua, Pateraroa, Kyeburn and Waipiata.

The Teviot Valley Community Board has five members (four elected and one appointed from Council). The Teviot ward includes the towns of Roxburgh and Millers Flat and smaller settlements of Ettrick and Lake Roxburgh Village.

 The Vincent Community Board has seven members (four elected and three appointed from Council). The Vincent ward includes urban and rural communities including Alexandra, Clyde, Letts Gully, Springvale, Poolburn, Omakau, Ophir, Becks, Lauder, St Bathans, Earnscleugh and Fruitlands.

Fair representation is about each councillor representing an approximately equal number of people.  

One of the key requirements for fair representation is that each elected member should represent roughly the same number of people – this helps ensure that all votes are of approximately equal value.

The population of each ward, divided by the number of members to be elected by their ward, must produce a figure no more than 10% greater or smaller than the population of the district, divided by the total of elected members.

For example, if the population of a district is 100,000 people and there are 10 elected councillors, the arrangement of wards and councillors must be organised so that each councillor represents around 10,000 people (+ or – 10%).

This is a key factor in working out the boundaries of wards and number of councillors per ward.

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 local councillors and/or community board members and how well they are able to represent the diverse range of people and interests in their area.

When looking at boundaries for local representation, we are required to consider communities of interest. This term can be subjective, however we generally consider three factors:

1. A sense of belonging to an area.
2. An ability to meet the community requirements for services.
3. An ability politically to represent the interest of the community.

Stipends for councillors are funded from district rates, but changes to the number of councillors will not have a significant impact on rates. 

Councillors’ remuneration is based on a fixed pool of funds which is set independently by a government agency, the Remuneration Authority. This amount does not go up or down in relation to the number of councillors. It also means that any change in the number of councillors would not affect the total amount paid to councillors overall, as the total is divided between the number of elected members. 

Māori wards provide a way for Māori to contribute in decision-making and have representation at Council.  Electors enrolled on the Māori electoral roll will vote for candidates standing for Māori wards.  

Councils can decide on whether to include Māori Wards in their arrangements - it is not a mandatory requirement.   

Consideration of whether to have a Māori ward may be part of this process.  Consultations with local iwi, and the views of the wider community through this consultation process will be taken into consideration before a decision is made.