Representation Review 2024

Whanganui District Council voted in October 2023 to include Māori wards for the 2025 local body elections. This has been worked into the proposal and is no longer being consulted on. This alters the voting dynamic, meaning the community can no longer vote as a single entity. Voters will be split by their electoral roll status, general, or Māori.

The representation review process determines the composition of Whanganui District Council, including:

• the number of councillors to be elected
• the basis of election for councillors (wards and boundaries)
• whether we have community boards, and if so, their locations, structures, and the number of members they have

A community board consists of members elected to represent local interests in a specific community and serve as a bridge between the community and the council.

Wards are integral parts of the council and comprise groups of councillors who collectively represent their respective community interests at the council table.

We have previously sought input on the number of councillors and community boards, and based on that feedback, the current proposed arrangement is the only option available for voting in this survey. To stay informed about future arrangements, please follow our social media channels and visit this website page regularly.

The Remuneration Authority sets the budget for this district, which is then distributed among the councillors. The fewer councillors we have, the more each councillor receives from that pool of money.

The council will hear any submissions on the initial proposal, if requested, on 13 August 2024. Following hearings and deliberations on any submissions received, the council will either confirm the initial proposal as the final proposal or make any amendments to the proposal in response to submissions, and adopt the final proposal at its meeting on 3 September 2024. 

The final proposal for representation arrangement will then be publicly notified and will be open for appeals and objections for not less than one month.

Any objections or appeals received will be referred to the Local Government Commission, which will make the final determination on the district's representation arrangements for the 2025 and 2028 local elections.

These changes will take effect from the 2025 local election.

Those people voting for the Whanganui Rural Community Board are also entitled to vote in either the Māori Ward or General Ward, according to which roll they are enrolled on, as well as for the Mayor.

Electors on the Māori electoral roll can only vote for candidates from a Māori ward, while electors on the general electoral roll can only vote for candidates from a general ward. Everybody votes for the mayor.

If you are of Māori descent, you can enrol in either the general or Māori electoral rolls.  If you are not of Māori descent you can only enrol on the General Electoral roll. You can find more information about the Māori Electoral Option on the Electoral Commission’s website.

To be eligible to stand for election, a candidate must be:

• A New Zealand citizen (by birth or citizenship ceremony) and
• Enrolled as a Parliamentary elector (anywhere in New Zealand) and
• Candidates in Māori wards do not need to be of Māori descent. However, they need to be nominated by two people on the Māori electoral roll in the area the candidate is standing. 

Candidates cannot stand for both a general ward and a Māori ward at the same time.

Māori ward councillors carry the same responsibilities as other councillors. Their role is to represent the significance of the Māori community's voice and ensure that issues important to Māori can be directly addressed within the council.

A community of interest is a group of people who have a common geographical, economic, social or historical bond.