Wednesday, 27 October 2021, 4:55 pm Press Release: Hawkes Bay Regional Council
Chair
Rick Barker and co-chair of the Māori committee, Michelle
Mcllroy celebrating in May this year when Council voted to
establish Māori
constituencies.
Hawke’s Bay
Regional Council has voted to increase the number of
councillors from nine to 11 councillors.
This final
proposal comes following its decision to establish Māori
constituencies in May this year, and confirms its proposed
representation arrangements for the 2022 and 2025
elections.
Two new Māori constituencies are
proposed:
Māui ki te Raki –
one elected member to cover the Wairoa District Council and
Napier City Council areas, parts of the Hastings District
Council area north of the Ngaruroro River, as well as an
area within the regional boundary belonging to Taupō
District Council.
Māui ki te Tonga
– one elected member to cover the Central Hawke’s Bay
District Council area, parts of the Hastings District
Council area south of the Ngaruroro River, as well as an
area within the regional boundary belonging to Rangitikei
District Council.
Five general constituencies
are proposed:
Tamatea -Central Hawke’s
Bay – one elected member and the same boundary as
Central Hawke’s District
Council
Heretaunga-Hastings –
three elected members and covers Flaxmere, Hastings-Havelock
North and most of Heretaunga within the Hastings District
Council area
Ahuriri-Napier –
three elected members and same boundary as the Napier City
Council area
Ngaruroro – one
elected member to cover Kahuranki ward and parts of
Heretaunga and Mohaka wards within the Hastings District
Council as as well an area within the regional boundary
belonging to Rangitikei District
Council
Wairoa – one elected
member and the same boundary as Wairoa District Council
area.
This final proposal is open for
appeals by those who submitted on Council’s initial
proposal and will then go to the Local Government Commission
for determination.
Chair Rick Barker says this is a
momentous day for the Regional Council in the change of its
democratic structures.
“Two Māori constituencies
are overdue and will strengthen the quality and durability
of Regional Council decisions.
“We are maintaining
the current shape of the Wairoa constituency despite the
disparity in the number of constituents and this
demonstrates this council’s focus on the importance of
community
representation.”
