Consultation is now open for the initial proposal of the Waitaki District Council’s Representation Review for the next two rounds of local body elections.

The consultation runs until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 4 September, a council spokesperson says.

Every six years, by law, the council must review its representation arrangements to ensure the best set up to represent people fairly and equally. The last review was in 2018.

The initial proposal is to keep things as they are for the 2025 and 2028 elections, meaning Waitaki voters will elect a mayor, councillors, and community board members under the same arrangements as the 2022 election.

Currently, the average population to councillor ratio is 2,436. This varies from ward to ward.

Oamaru Ward has six councillors who represent 2,483 people each, while Corriedale Ward has two representing 2,460 people each, and Waihemo Ward has one councillor for 2,500 people.

The Ahuriri Ward, which has one representative for around 2,040 people, (a -16.26% difference from the quota for an elected member) is outside the range of  Local Electoral Act requirements of plus or minus 10%, the spokesperson says.

While that difference has shrunk from a -21.95% difference in 2018 as a result of tourism and economic development in the area, the council still needs an exemption for the ward and to have it recognised as “an isolated community of interest that requires an elected member and a community board to ensure effective representation”.

The initial proposal is available in the consultation document, and online at Let’s Talk Waitaki.

Consultation documents will also be available at Waitaki District offices in Ōamaru and Palmerston, and Waitaki District Libraries.