Electorate boundary proposal: Napier to eat into East Coast

• The Napier electorate could expand into East Coast’s electorate if a new boundary proposal is accepted.
• The Representation Commission’s boundary review aims to balance population numbers for the 2026 general election.
• Public submissions on the proposed changes are open until August before finalisation.

The Napier electorate looks set to expand.

A boundary review is currently being held to set the electorate boundaries for the 2026 general election, and the Representation Commission is proposing changes to New Zealand’s parliamentary electorates. This includes changes to the boundaries and, in some cases, the names of electorates.

The Representation Commission reviews and adjusts the electorate boundaries after the census to ensure each electorate has about the same number of people.

The proposed boundaries were released for public comment on Tuesday, with the major changes being proposed mainly focusing on Wellington and Auckland electorates.

However, there is one suggested change that would affect the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne region.

The Napier electorate is below the population quota set for the North Island general electorates and a change is proposed to align the boundary between the Napier and East Coast electorates with the Waipaoa River south of Whatatutu.

This change would bring about 1300 people into the Napier electorate from East Coast.

The proposed changes to the Napier electorate boundary.

Representation Commission chairman Judge Kevin Kelly is inviting the public to have their say now the proposed boundaries have been released.

“You can find out more about the changes and make a written submission online at vote.nz,” Kelly said.

“All public comment will be considered before the electorate boundaries and names are finalised in August.

“The new boundaries will apply for the 2026 general election.”

Although the new electorate won’t come into effect until after the 2026 election, current Napier MP Katie Nimon is looking forward to getting to know more of the communities in the new area, like Motu, Te Karaka, and Manutuke.

“I absolutely love serving the northern parts of the electorate,” Nimon said.

“[MP for East Coast] Dana Kirkpatrick and I already work very closely together for our shared boundary, and nothing will change there.

“Gisborne District have their own concerns, including rural roading, and forestry, but every region is focused on economic growth. We are working hard to deliver growth across the country, so we can provide the best public services for every New Zealander.”

Nimon said the Government had only been presented with the draft proposed boundary changes, which will now go through a process and be confirmed by August 8.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region.