Rangitīkei District Council to consider representation review after Māori wards decision

The Rangitīkei District Council is considering the future make-up of the council through a representation review. Photo / NZME

The Rangitīkei District Council is set to meet today to sign off on seeking public consultation on the makeup of the council, after a representation review was undertaken in the district.

A review must be done every six years to determine the number of councillors around the table, as well as whether or not those elected officials represent designated wards.

The most recent review was conducted prior to the 2019 local body elections, but the council's vote to establish a designated Māori ward earlier this year meant a new review was required.

Currently, the 12-person council is made up of the mayor and 11 councillors from three wards.

The Northern ward captures the town of Taihape, the Central ward covers Hunterville and Marton, while the Southern ward includes Turakina, Bulls and Rātana.

As it stands, three councillors each are elected from the Northern and Southern wards, while five councillors represent the Central ward.

Four options were put forward in the representation review.

Option A includes retaining the existing ward structure with the addition of two Māori wards Northern and Southern. There would be eight general ward councillors, two from Northern, four from Central and two from Southern, bringing the total to 10.

Option B would see a total of 11 councillors across the existing three general wards and the same two additional Māori wards, with two councillors each from the Northern and Southern general wards, and five from the Central ward.

Option C scraps the Central ward entirely and has the least number of councillors overall.

Two councillors would be elected through a larger Northern general ward, while five would be elected through the expanded Southern ward. An additional Māori councillor would also be elected from each of the same Northern and Southern Māori wards.

Option D would see almost exactly the same approach taken as Option C, except with a larger total of 11 councillors. Three general councillors would be elected in the Northern ward and six general councillors elected in the Southern.

The same Northern and Southern Māori wards would continue to have a single Māori representative each.

The four options are set to be considered at today's meeting, where the council is expected to sign off on a decision to seek public consultation on the proposals.

After an initial period of consultation, the council will deliberate and make a decision on
the preferred option within six weeks.