Election 2020: Boundary changes for the Waikato region to shake up election

There have been changes made to electoral boundaries across New Zealand. Photo / File

With the 2020 general election fast approaching there are changes to electoral boundaries in both Hamilton and the wider Waikato.

The changes have seen 2400 people in the current Hamilton West electorate become part of the adjusted Waikato electorate, while around 9100 voters in Te Aroha and Waitoa have moved from the Coromandel electorate to Waikato electorate.

The current electorate of Hunua has been renamed to Port Waikato, while the boundaries would have also changed with a large area including Pōkeno and Te Kauwhata added from Waikato.

A final decision was made earlier this year on the boundary changes after months of consultation.

In Hamilton West, the electorate was 6.9 per cent over quota with the population at 67,010 and the quota being 64,899, particularly in the area east of the Waikato River.

The area is too large to be transferred to Hamilton East, which is already at 4.3 per cent above quota so a population of 2400 around Horsham Downs has been moved into the Waikato.

The Waikato electorate is currently 9.7 per cent over quota and has gained further population from neighbouring electorates after adjustments are made.

The quota is set by the Electoral Commission, which imposes a minimum and maximum population for electorates based on population changes according to the most recent Census.

All electorates must contain populations varying not more than plus or minus 5 per cent from the quota.

9100 people from around Te Aroha and Waitoa from Coromandel were moved to the Waikato, while 2400 from Horsham Downs has been added from Hamilton West.
Population is also added from Taupō, 1900 around Tīrau and 1200 north of Cambridge.

To balance these gains Waikato electorate has lost a population of 20,400 in a large area including Pōkeno and Te Kauwhata to Port Waikato (currently Hunua).

The current electorate of Hunua, soon to be Port Waikato, is 14.2 per cent over quota. It loses a large area including Beachlands, Whitford, Hunua and Bombay with a population of 20,200 to Papakura.

It also loses a population of 12,400 around Mission Heights and Murphys Rd to the new electorate of Flat Bush as part of the redraw of the south Auckland electorates.

To balance these changes a large area including Pōkeno and Te Kauwhata with a population of 20,400 is added from Waikato.