Once formal consultation begins in May 2024 this page will reappear in Current Consultations
We are reviewing our district’s representation arrangements for the 2025 and 2028 local government elections.
The representation review process determines how the council is made up, including the number of councillors to be elected, the basis of election for councillors (such as wards, boundaries and names of those wards), and whether there are to be community boards in the district, where they might be and what their membership arrangements are.
How are you represented by your council?
The first step of a representation review was to listen to our communities and learn what they think representation should look like at the council via a preliminary survey. Currently, Whanganui is represented by a mayor, 12 councillors and a Rural Community Board. We wanted to hear what the Whanganui community thought about the current arrangements and whether they believed any particular changes should be made.
The preliminary survey closed on Sunday, 10 March 2024. Thank you to those who participated.
Based on feedback from the preliminary survey, a representation proposal will be put to the Whanganui district for consultation. You can then give feedback on your preferred representative arrangement.
What happens then?
Based on the formal consultation feedback, a decision of the council’s arrangement will be made in July 2024. Community members can make an appeal to the Local Government Commission (LGC) on this decision if they wish, and the LGC will determine the final decision by April 2025. If no appeals are made, July 2024 will be when we know what the future representation of the council will look like.
What is the Awheawhe working party?
The Awheawhe working party is made up of councillors and council officers who are responsible for analysing the information that results from the consultations and putting together the representation proposal. The Awheawhe councillors are:
Frequently Asked Questions