This year's general election is scheduled for September 19. Photo / file
This year's general election is scheduled for September 19. Photo / file
The names of some of the country's largest electorates – including Clutha-Southland, Dunedin North and South, and Helensville – have been changed ahead of this year's general election.
And the boundaries of 30 general, and five Māori seats, have been adjusted after a review of New Zealand electorates.
In total, 7 per cent of the population – some 342,000 people – will now be in a different electorate at the 2020 election.
The Representation Commission, which has been working on the review since October last year, released its final report this morning.
"Where possible, we have maintained existing electorate boundaries and no changes have been made to 36 electorates," the Representation Commission Chairman Judge Craig Thompson said.
The number of electorates in the Auckland region has increased from 24 to 25.
The new electorate is in South Auckland and is called Takanini.
There is one new electorate in South Auckland.The proposed name was Flat Bush. The final name following public consultation is Takanini.
The changes mean the number of electorate MPs in New Zealand will increase by one, but the number of list places also drops by one – meaning there will still be 120 MPs in Parliament.
The areas where there have been the most boundary changes are Auckland, Waikato, Christchurch, Otago and Southland.
For example, Helensville – which is being renamed Kaipara ki Mahurangi – has been extended into Northland, Whangaparāoa and Upper Harbour, and loses the Waitākere Ranges to New Lynn.
Selwyn, the fastest-growing electorate, has been redrawn and will lose the Banks Peninsula area to Banks Peninsula, formerly Port Hills.
Tāmaki Makaurau has gained an area around Te Atatū South from Te Tai Tokerau and an area to the east of Manurewa and Waiheke Island from Hauraki-Waikato.
In total, there are 72 electorates – 65 general electorates and 7 Māori electorates.
After public feedback, the commission decided to change the names of 11 electorates across the country.
These include:
• Whangarei becomes Whangārei • Helensville becomes Kaipara ki Mahurangi • Rodney becomes Whangaparāoa • Manukau East becomes Panmure-Ōtāhuhu • Flat Bush, the proposed name for the new electorate, becomes Takanini • Hunua becomes Port Waikato • Rimutaka becomes Remutaka • Port Hills becomes Banks Peninsula • Dunedin North becomes Dunedin • Dunedin South becomes Taieri • Clutha-Southland becomes Southland
"The names were either proposed by us or suggested in public submissions to better describe the redrawn electorate areas," Thompson said.
He added that the names and boundaries of the country's electorates have been finalised for the next two general elections.
