Auckland Council has been consulting on its review of the boundaries for electing councillors. This is a review required under legislation to consider fair representation for communities of interest.
Fair representation means that councillors in each ward should each represent populations without too much variation in numbers across the whole of Auckland.
Because of population increases, the council had to review the boundaries of the Waitematā and Gulf Ward.
The council’s joint governance working party has now heard and considered submissions on the council’s proposal and has decided to recommend changes to the council’s initial proposal.
The changes include retaining all of Grey Lynn and Westmere in the Waitematā and Gulf Ward. This was in response to submissions and public concern from the Grey Lynn area.
The working party will also recommend to the council’s governing body that an area of Grafton will become part of the Ōrākei Ward in addition to the proposal for Newmarket and Parnell to become part of the Ōrākei Ward.
This recommendation is also a response to submissions from local residents.
The chair of the working party, Mr Richard Northey, said he was impressed with the number of submissions from the Manukau area about the proposal to split the Manukau Ward into two and will recommend to the Governing Body that it not be split.
A minor adjustment was recommended to a proposal to adjust Rodney subdivision boundaries.
The working party noted some submitters had mistakenly understood that local board boundaries were to be changed. Mr Northey said he wanted to make it clear that no local board boundaries will be changed.
As a result of a request from the Puketāpapa Local Board, the working party is also recommending that the name is changed to Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa Ward.
The working party’s recommendations will be presented to Auckland Council’s Governing Body on 18 October.
