Kawerau District Council is committed to ensuring fair and effective representation for our community. Council is completing a representation review following the introduction of Māori ward/s in November 2023. The review means we are examining the current council structure, which includes eight (8) councillors plus the Mayor.

Council sought feedback from the community via a round of Early Engagement earlier in the year from March to April (including gathering feedback during the Annual Plan 2024-2025 consultation). Based on the feedback from the Early Engagement, Council put together an Initial Proposal based on this feedback. The Council adopted the Initial Proposal on 17 July 2024, following which we completed the initial proposal consultation period from 22 July to 26 August 2024. Council received 104 submissions during this period, which were received and heard on Wednesday, 11 September 2024. With all the information at hand, Council then deliberated on the submissions and resolved to adopt the Final Proposal. The Final Proposal is the same as the Initial Proposal that Council went out with for consultation in July and August, 2024. Council unanimously agreed to maintain this proposal due to the majority of 104 submitters agreeing with the Initial Proposal. 

As per the Local Electoral Act, please view the Notice of Representation Review Final Proposal here as of Friday, 20 September when the appeal period begins.  

The appeals period will close at 5pm on Friday, 4 November 2024.

To make an appeal please use this link. 

The final proposal Council adopted on Wednesday, 11 September, 2024 for appeals is: 

• Maintain eight (8) councillors and the Mayor 

• Mixed system (combination model) comprising:

  • the Mayor elected 'at large' (district wide)

  • two (2) councillors elected ‘at large’ (district-wide) 

  • Kawerau Māori Ward: represented by three (3) Māori ward councillors, with the ward boundaries aligning with the district’s boundaries (see map)

  • Kawerau General Ward: represented by three (3) general ward councillors, with the ward boundaries aligning with the district's boundaries (see map)   

• No community board 

Formal notification of Representation Arrangement Review Initial Proposal

Map of Kawerau:

Final Proposal Appeals:

On Wednesday, 11 September 2024, the Mayor and elected members heard and deliberated about the 104 submissions received during the official consultation period. 
The initial proposal that Council consulted on was based on the feedback received from the community during the early engagement carried out earlier this year.  It was clear that the majority of 104 submitters agreed with the Initial Proposal, therefore, Council unanimously decided to proceed with the Initial Proposal as the Final Proposal. The appeal period is open from Friday, 20 September - 5:00pm, Monday 4 November 2024. 

Submitting your appeal:

We encourage online feedback, as it helps keep the costs down and reduce our impacts on the environment - Online appeals form.

Otherwise, complete this form  and return it:

• By mail: Ranfurly Court, Private Bag 1004, Kawerau, 3169
• By email: submissions@kaweraudc.govt.nz
• In person: to our main office at 2 Ranfurly Court, Kawerau, 3169

Please note: appeal forms will be available at the Council Offices, District Library and isite. 

Appeals can be made by any person or organisation who made a submission on the Representation Review 2024 - Initial Proposal. Appeals must be lodged in writing via the methods noted above. 

Appeal

(Please note: All appeals will be considered by the Local Government Commission) 

Any person or organisation that has made a submission on the Representation Review 2024 - Initial Proposal may lodge a written appeal:

a) must identify the matters to which the appeal relates; and

b) may raise only one of those matters that were raised in the orginal submission. 

Submissions for the Initial Proposal are now closed

Council adopted the initial proposal on Wednesday, 17 July 2024 and will now complete the formal engagement and consultation process. The submission period is from Monday 22 July to Monday 26 August 2024. 

Throughout the submission period Council carried out 'drop-in' sessions and presentations so that the community can have a better understanding and can make a formal submission. If you wish to contact Council for more information or for any assistance to make a submission, please phone 07 306 9009 or email info@kaweraudc.govt.nz 

Consultation meeting dates:  

If you cannot attend any sessions but have some questions please refer to our FAQ Page on our website. Or contact Council on 07 306 9009 or email info@kaweraudc.govt.nz 

Council resolves to reaffirm Māori wards

In an Ordinary Council Meeting held on Wednesday, 14 August, Council reaffirmed the decision to introduce Māori wards which was made on 22 November 2023. 

Councillors agreed unanimously to reaffirm their decision for Māori Wards to honour their commitment to this community, and to proceed with the consultation underway with the representation review.  

The decision was required after the government’s new Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 became law last month.  

This Act restores the provisions for a poll or referendum on Māori Wards and will mean that as part of the 2025 election, Council will hold a binding poll (referendum) asking if Māori wards should stay in place for the next two elections (2028 and 2031) or not.  

What is a representation review?

Every six years councils must review how communities are represented in the make-up of their council. As council introduced Māori wards in November 2023, this means we must carry out a representation review to look at the structures in place, including:

• the number of constituencies (electoral areas) and their boundaries
• the number of elected members (councillors) representing each constituency
• the names of our General and Māori constituencies.

The review of representation arrangements must be an appropriate reflection of the district’s communities of interest and comprises the following decisions:

• Whether Council keeps the current standing of: one mayor, eight councillors which was supported by 75% of the respondents in the early engagement process;

• No community board/s - 70% of the feedback from the early engagement stated that elected members and the Mayor can and do effectively represent the community without duplication of roles and the extra cost that a community board would entail. 

• Currently, there are no wards as the Mayor and councillors are elected ‘at large’ from the entire district. However, this will change for 2025 following the decision to introduce Māori ward(s) in November 2023. This will result in one or more Māori ward(s) and general ward(s). 

Māori representation is being introduced based on the Local Electoral Act 2001 (LEA) legislative formula using Māori and general electoral populations (not electors):

nmm = mepd / (mepd + gepd) x nm 

where -

So, with the statistics above and the current arrangements (of a Mayor plus eight councillors), the calculation [nmm= 3,430/(3,430+4,390)*8] would provide for four1 Māori ward councillors and four general ward councillors. Both the Māori ward and general ward councillors can be elected from 1-4 wards.

The total electoral population is 7,820.

Kawerau District - total number of electors eligible to vote as of 2022 is 5,125 

Please note: this number will likely increase in the 2025 elections due to the population growth. 

Fair and effective representation

Council must ensure their communities have fair and effective representation.

Fair representation means each elected member represents about the same number of people (within +/- 10 percent of the region's population divided by the total number of Councillors).

Effective representation relates to the Councillors’ ability to represent their constituency and ensure matters important to their electorate are heard.

Timeline of the Representation Review 2024:

• Council workshop 1 (overview)                                                          21 Feb 2024
• Preliminary community engagement                                                  April-May 2024
• Council workshop 2 (summary of consultation, scenarios)               19 June 2024
• Council Workshop 3 (further information re mixed combination)       10 July 2024
• Extraordinary Meeting (resolve initial proposal)                                 17 July 2024
• Public notice of initial proposal                                                           22 July 2024
• Submission period                                                                              22 July-26 Aug 2024
• Extraordinary Meeting: Submission Hearing & Deliberation              11 Sept 2024
• Council meeting (final proposal)                                                        11 Sept 2024 
• Public notice of final proposal                                                            20 Sept 2024
• Appeal/objection period                                                                     20 Sept–4 Nov 2024
• LGC hearing placeholder (if required)                                                30 January 2025
• LGC determination (if required)                                                          by 10 April 2025
• Triennial Elections and poll on Māori wards                                       9 September to 11 October 2025

If you have any other questions, please view our FAQ Page on our website.