Representation arrangements for Christchurch City Council

Date: 8 April 2016

Commission announces decision on representation arrangements for Christchurch City Council

The Local Government Commission today announced its decision on the Christchurch City Council’s membership and ward arrangements for the 2016 local elections.

The Council had proposed new representation arrangements for Christchurch City.  The proposal involved:

• A council of 16 members plus the Mayor, with each councillor elected from a single member ward (compared to the current 13 councillors elected from six two-member wards and a single member Banks Peninsula Ward)
• The Banks Peninsula Ward was proposed to continue despite it not complying with the +/-10% rule on the basis that the Council considered non-compliance was required for the effective representation of isolated communities
• Seven community boards, made up of:
• six boards in the main urban area
• a Banks Peninsula Community Board

After hearing from the Council and the appellants the Commission has decided to uphold the Council’s proposal apart from three small boundary changes – the inclusion of the whole of the Prestons subdivision in the Burwood Ward (instead of its division between the Burwood and Innes Wards), the transfer of a small area in Bexley from the Burwood Ward to the Coastal Ward, and the inclusion of the western part of the Heathcote Estuary in the Heathcote Ward (instead of including the whole estuary in the Coastal Ward).

The determination is available on the Commission’s website: http://www.lgc.govt.nz/decisions-and-determinations/view/christchurch-city-2016

Summary of the Representation Review process

Councils are required by the Local Electoral Act to undertake a representation review every six years. The following is a brief outline of the process:

• The Council makes its proposal
• The Council invites submissions on its proposal
• The Council considers submissions and makes a final proposal
• People can object to or appeal against the proposal to the Local Government Commission
• The Commission may hold an appeals hearing
• The Commission makes and releases its Determination

Ends

Media contacts:

Donald Riezebos | Principal Advisor | Local Government Commission | DDI +64 4 460 2202|

MOB 027 243 5658 | donald.riezebos@lgc.govt.nz 

Simon Cunliffe | Communications Advisor| Local Government Commission | DDI +64 4 474 8164|

MOB 027 809 3833 | simon.cunliffe@dia.govt.nz