Representation review pānui 1 / 2028
Representation review guidelines
Head Start Pathway proposal (Simplifying Local Government)
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Kia ora koutou
Welcome to the first in our regular series of pānui about the representation reviews that many councils will be carrying out ahead of the 2028 local elections. This update covers:
- Head Start for Simplifying Local Government
Representation Review Guidelines
The Commission has prepared new representation review guidelines to assist local authorities undertaking representation reviews ahead of the 2028 local elections. These guidelines are also intended to help members of the public who wish to understand and/or take part in the review process.
You can access the guidelines here: Representation review guidelines
We’ll continue to add practical tools and resources to our website to complement these guidelines, and we’ll keep you updated through our pānui.
If you have any questions, please get in touch: lgc@lgc.govt.nz
Head Start Pathway
We recognise that recent government announcements about the Head Start pathway may prompt questions about representation reviews. Representation reviews remain a legislative requirement and continue to play an important role in shaping representation arrangements for your community.
Should any legislative changes occur, we will, where necessary, update or issue supplementary guidelines accordingly, and advise of these through pānui.
The Head Start Pathway process is being led by Government Ministers and their advisors. It is not part of the statutory local government representation review process under the Local Electoral Act 2001. For information about the Head Start Pathway please see the Department of Internal Affairs' Simplifying Local Government webpage.
Contacting us
If you have any questions on your council’s review, please get in touch: lgc@lgc.govt.nz.
Ngā mihi
The Local Government Commission Team
The information contained in this update is intended to support well-informed council decisions and good practice throughout the representation review process. Specific representation arrangements are decisions for each council. The information is provided by Commission officials and does not reflect a particular view or preference of the Commission for any specific representation arrangement. Where representation is determined by the Commission, each determination is considered on its own merits taking into account the information available to the Commission.