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Whangarei District Council Meeting Agenda Date: 17 August, 2021 Time: 9:00 am Location: Council Chamber Forum North, Rust Avenue Whangarei Elected Members: Her Worship the Mayor Sheryl Mai (Chairperson) Cr Gavin Benney Cr Vince Cocurullo Cr Nicholas Connop Cr Ken Couper Cr Tricia Cutforth Cr Shelley Deeming Cr Jayne Golightly Cr Phil Halse Cr Greg Innes Cr Greg Martin Cr Anna Murphy Cr Carol Peters Cr Simon Reid For any queries regarding this meeting please contact the Whangarei District Council on (09) 430-4200. Pages 1. Karakia/Prayer 2. Declarations of Interest 3. Apologies 4. Decision Reports 4.1. Representation Review 2021 - Hearing Submissions to Initial 1 Proposal 5. Closure of Meeting Recommendations contained in the Council agenda may not be the final decision of Council. Please refer to Council minutes for final resolution. 1 4.1 Representation Review 2021 – Hearing of Submissions on the Initial Proposal Meeting: Whangarei District Council Date of meeting: 17 August 2021 Reporting officer: Emily Thompson (Manager Democracy and Assurance) Nicolene Pestana (Team Leader Democracy) 1 Purpose To receive and hear the submissions relating to the 2021 Representation Review Initial Proposal for representation arrangements for the 2022 triennial local government elections. 2 Recommendations That Council: 1. Receives and hear the submissions relating to the Representation Review Initial Proposal for representation arrangements for the 2022 triennial local government elections 2. Accepts for consideration by Council, any submissions identified as being received after the close of the submission period (30 July 2021) but prior to closure of this meeting. 3 Background The Local Electoral Act 2001 (LEA) requires local authorities to undertake a review of their representation arrangements at least once every six years to ensure the arrangements provide fair and effective representation for communities. Council last reviewed its representation arrangements in 2018 which took effect for the 2019 and 2022 triennial elections. On 3 November 2020, Council resolved to establish Māori ward(s) for the 2022 and 2025 triennial elections, necessitating a review of the representation arrangements in 2021, with the outcome to apply for the 2022 triennial local government elections. The LEA 2001 prescribes the process and timeline that councils are required to follow when undertaking a representation review. On 24th June 2021, Council adopted, pursuant to sections 19H and 19 J and clause 1 and 2 of Schedule 1A of the Local Electoral Act 2001, the Initial Proposal for public consultation on its representation arrangements for the 2022 triennial local government elections and authorised staff to prepare the Initial Proposal for consultation with the community and invite the public to make a submission on the Initial Proposal. Public notice of the Initial Proposal was given on 30th June 2021, a copy of which is attached as Attachment 1. Council’s Initial Proposal was released for public consultation between 30th 2 June 2021 and 30th July 2021. A copy of the Initial Proposal booklet outlining the proposal and the representation review process is attached as Attachment 2. Consultation on the Initial Proposal ran from 30th June 2021 to 30th July 2021. Sixty-one submissions on the Initial Proposal were received. Two submissions were received after the closure date of 30 July 2021. Eight submitters indicated that they wished to speak to their submission, seven of which will be heard at today’s hearing. A final submitter, Marie Tautari will speak to her submission at the Council meeting on 26 August. Council is required to consider any submissions it receives on its Initial Proposal, and then either confirm or amend the Initial Proposal and give public notice of its Final Proposal within six weeks of the closing date of submissions (i.e. by 10 September 2021). The review is subject to rights of appeal and/or objections which will be considered by the Local Government Commission. Full copies of all submissions are provided under separate cover. 4 Significance and engagement The decisions or matters of this Agenda do not trigger the significance criteria outlined in Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy, and the public will be informed via Agenda publication on the website. 5 Attachments Attachment 1: Public notice of the Initial Proposal Attachment 2: Initial Proposal booklet Under separate cover Full Copies of submissions (available on council’s website) Review of Representation3 Arrangements Under sections 19H and 19J and clauses 1 and 2 of Schedule 1A of the Local Electoral Act 2001, Whangarei District Council is required to carry out a review of its representation arrangements for at least the 2022 triennial local authority elections. On 24 June 2021, Council resolved to adopt as its initial proposal for the review of representation arrangements for at least the 2022 triennial elections, the following: (i) the Whangarei District Council to comprise the mayor elected at-large and 13 councillors elected under the ward system, specifically 11 general ward councillors and two Māori ward councillors; (ii) the Whangarei District Council be divided into six wards, consisting of the following: . Bream Bay General Ward (represented by two general councillors) being the existing ward comprising the area delineated on Plan LG-002-2012-W-4 deposited with Local Government Commission and with ward boundary changes as shown on Attachment D; . Hikurangi-Coastal General Ward (represented by two general councillors), being the existing ward comprising the area delineated on Plan LG-002- 2012-W-3 deposited with Local Government Commission with ward boundary changes as shown on Attachment E; . Mangakahia-Maungatapere General Ward (represented by one general councillor) being the existing ward comprising the area delineated on Plan LG-002-2012-W-2 deposited with the Local Government Commission with ward boundary changes as shown on Attachment F; . Whangarei Heads General Ward (represented by one general councillor) being the existing ward, comprising the area delineated on Plan LG-002- 2012-W-7 deposited with the Local Government Commission as shown on Attachment G; . Whangarei Urban General Ward (represented by five general councillors) being the combined areas of the existing Denby ward comprising the area delineated on Plan LG-002-2012-W5 deposited with the Local Government Commission and the existing Okara ward comprising the area delineated on Plan LG-002-2012-W-6 deposited with the Local Government Commission. The proposed new ward boundary is shown on Attachment H; . Whangarei District Māori Ward (represented by two Māori councillors) comprising the whole area of the district as delineated on Plan LG-002- 2012-W-1 deposited with the Local Government Commission as shown on Attachment L. (iii) no community boards be established; (iv) the reasons the total number of councillors is proposed to remain at 13 (plus the mayor) is to provide effective representation of Whangarei District residents and ratepayers (ensuring accessibility to a large and diverse area made up of populated towns and villages and sparsely populated rural areas); (v) the reason for combining the two existing urban Denby and Okara wards into one urban ward is to acknowledge that two urban wards are no longer needed due to changing demographics and the Whangarei urban area would be effectively represented as one urban area represented by five general councillors; (vi) the reason for establishing one district-wide Māori ward, represented by two Māori councillors, is to provide effective representation of the Māori population of the district; (vii) the reason for the general ward boundary alterations are for compliance with the requirements for fair representation prescribed in the Local Electoral Act 2001. The five general wards, the number of general councillors per ward, the ward populations (estimated as at 30 June 2020) and the population ratio per general councillor are as follows: General Ward Population Councillors Average % Variation Bream Bay 13,300 2 6,650 -8.1% Hikurangi-Coastal 13,400 2 6,700 -7.4% Mangakahia-Maungatapere 7,560 1 7,560 +4.5% Whangarei Heads 7,170 1 7,170 -0.9% Whangarei Urban 38,100 5 7,620 +5.3% In accordance with section 19V(2) of the Local Electoral Act 2001, the population that each general councillor represents must be within the population range of 7,236 plus or minus 10% (6,512 - 7,959). SUBMISSIONS The initial proposal has been submitted for formal consultation, including inviting written submissions for any interested person or organisation in the period from 30 June to 30 July 2021. Submissions can be provided through the website www.wdc.govt.nz/HaveYourSay, by email to [email protected] or in hardcopy. Submission forms and the full statement of proposal (including maps referred to above as attachments) can be downloaded from the website and are available from the Whangarei District Council office at Forum North, Rust Avenue, or the Ruakaka Service Centre at Takutai Place, Ruakaka from 30 June 2021. Submissions should state your name, address, telephone number and email address (if you have one) and should reach the Council no later than 5.00pm on Friday 30 July 2021. Council will read and consider all submissions. Please clearly state if you wish to speak in support of your submission and note that any submission made will be available to the public. Hearings and meetings on the review will be open to the public. For more information, see the consultation pages at www.wdc.govt.nz/HaveYourSay Rob Forlong, Chief Executive Whangarei District Council Phone: 09 430 4200 30 June 2021 4 5 ROTAKE A ENT ES AT R I P O E N R W R A H EV G A I N K EW A AAHUAT Initial proposal Whakatakoto tuatahi 6 We’re reviewing how Whangarei District Council represents our communities in time for the 2022 triennial local election. Council has now decided on an initial proposal for consultation with the community and we would like your views.