Fewer Tu¯rangi councillors proposed
How many representatives do locals need?
The Tu¯rangi-Tongariro ward will lose one of its two councillors and the Tu¯rangi-Tongariro Community Board will be disestablished under proposed new representation arrangements.
Taupo¯ District Council is asking for residents and ratepayers’ feedback on its initial proposal for the district’s representation arrangements for the next two local government elections.
After its recent decision to establish a Ma¯ori ward, the council has to take a fresh look at how many elected members there are and what communities they represent across the district.
It is proposing keeping the same number of councillors in the Taupo¯ ward, Mangakino/Pouakani ward, and the Taupo¯ East Rural ward as at present, but reducing the number of Tu¯rangi-Tongariro councillors from two to one.
It would introduce a Taupo¯ District Ma¯ori ward, which would have two councillors. The overall number of councillors would rise by one.
In the Tu¯ rangi-Tongariro area, the Tu¯ rangi-Tongariro Community Board would be disestablished and replaced by two committees.
One would be a Mana Whakahono co-governance committee which would be a council committee made up of an equal number of members from Nga¯ti Tu¯rangitukua and the council.
The council says it and Nga¯ti Tu¯rangitukua, the hapu¯ with mana whenua of the Tu¯rangi area that includes the Tu¯ rangi township and its surrounds, have been in discussions for several years to find ways to improve their relationship and build on their shared aspiration of working together on a range of matters for the benefit of Nga¯ti Tu¯ rangitukua and the wider community.
The agreement will include a Mana Whakahono a¯ Rohe, which is a relatively recent iwi participation tool under the Resource Management Act designed to help tangata whenua and local authorities to discuss, agree and record how they will work together, including how tangata whenua will be involved in resource management decisions.
The other committee would be a community representative group, similar to other groups such as the Kinloch Representative Group, which already exist in other wards in the district.
These groups have a mix of councillors, appointed locals, and Ma¯ori. Their job is to review and provide advice on proposals that affect the area and make decisions on local matters.
The community representative group for the remainder of the Tu¯rangi-Tongariro ward (known as the Tongariro part of the ward) would cover the western lakeshore settlements of Whareroa, Kuratau/Omori and Pukawa, the southern area of Waihi–Tokaanu and the wider Tongariro area, and the eastern lakeshore villages of Motuoapa, Hatepe and Tauranga-Taupo¯ .
It is likely to include the mayor, the local councillor, appointed members from these local settlements and iwi.
The council’s legal, risk and governance manager Nigel McAdie said the review aims to ensure fair and effective representation for people and their communities, which will, in turn, provide an effective voice and strengthen local democracy.
“The review will cover how many councillors we should have, which geographical areas should have a guaranteed councillor (if any), the boundaries and name of our new Ma¯ori ward, and whether we should have community boards.”
The initial proposal was approved at Tuesday’s council meeting and is for the 2022 and 2025 elections.
The council will consult the public on the proposal from July 7 to August 9.