30 electorate boundaries altered

WELLINGTON: The electorate names and boundaries for the next two general elections have been released.

A new electorate has been established in South Auckland.

Boundaries of 30 general electorates and 11 names have been changed, the most boundary changes being in Auckland, Waikato, Otago, Southland and Christchurch.

This includes a redraw of the fastestgrowing electorate, Selwyn, which loses the Banks Peninsula area to the former Port Hills electorate — which has now been renamed Banks Peninsula.

The new South Auckland electorate is called Takanini, rather than the initially proposed Flat Bush, and draws population from Manurewa, the former Hunua electorate and Papakura and includes Wattle Downs and Takanini.

To create the new electorate consequential changes have been made to Mt Roskill, Maungakiekie, Manukau East and Manurewa.

The number of Maori electorates remains at seven, but five boundaries have changed, including Tamaki Makaurau gaining an area around Te Atatu South from Te Tai Tokerau and an area to the east of Manurewa and Waiheke Island from HaurakiWaikato.

A minor adjustment between IkaroaRawhiti and Te Tai Tonga has also been made in Naenae.

Other name changes include

Rodney, renamed Whangaparaoa; Hunua, renamed Port Waikato; and Dunedin South, renamed Taieri.

The proposed electorates were released for public consultation in November.

Representation Commission chairman Judge Craig Thompson said some of the new names were ‘‘suggested in public submissions to better describe the redrawn electorate areas’’.

‘‘Where possible, we have maintained existing electorate boundaries and no changes have been made to 36 electorates.

‘‘Now the boundaries and names have been finalised, we’d encourage people to go to www.vote.nz to check which electorate they are.’’ — RNZ