There will be no changes in the way voters are represented on the Northland Regional Council in October's local body elections with the Local Government Commission supporting the status quo.
The commission has endorsed the decision of Northland Regional Council that the existing arrangements of nine councillors elected from the existing seven constituencies, with some minor boundary alterations, will apply for the October elections.
This is despite one constituency, the Hokianga-Kaikohe Constituency, not complying with the statutory fair representation requirement. This requirement is for the ratio of population to councillors for each constituency to be within +/-10 per of the ratio for the region as a whole.
One appeal against the council's proposed constituency arrangements was received by the commission.
However, the commission has agreed that the proposed arrangements provide a good balance between both the fair and effective representation requirements set out in legislation.
