The Otago Regional Council is conducting its first representation review in six years and Electionz.com representation review expert Stephen Hill said the uneven population growth across the region’s four constituencies raised "gnarly issues" for councillors to consider.
Since the council’s last representation review in 2018, the Dunstan constituency (made up of the Central Otago District and Queenstown Lakes District areas) had grown from 57,400 people to an estimated 78,800, far exceeding the growth in other areas.
Over the same six-year span the Dunedin constituency (central Dunedin and the city’s Waikouaiti Coast, West Harbour, Otago Peninsula and Saddle Hill community board areas) had only grown from 110,800 to 115,200 people.
By creating a new Whakatipu constituency, Queenstown and Arrowtown-based wards would be carved off the Dunstan constituency, councillors were told.
Wānaka-Upper Clutha and Central Otago wards would remain as a separate constituency.
What was once Dunstan would have four rather than three councillors.
And in order to maintain the number of councillors around the table at 12, Dunedin could drop from six councillors to five, they were told.
Yesterday, several councillors took issue with framing the discussion as "winners and losers" or "power and control".
However, there appeared to be an appetite for change.
Dunstan councillor Alexa Forbes said the people of Queenstown and Wānaka were "dreadfully under-represented" at the moment.
"I’ve got a lot of time for my Dunedin councillor colleagues but I don’t think they understand the issues of up here.
"This is such a fast-growing area, this is where all the growth is.
"All that ‘rush and roar’ is very different to the more sedate, possibly more thoughtful Dunedin," Cr Forbes said.
"I really think that those things need more representation."
Dunstan councillor Gary Kelliher said the increase in population in Queenstown and Central Otago meant there was "definitely an imbalance of councillors" at present.
He thought a Dunedin seat should move to the Dunstan constituency, but the fairest way was to have four seats at large across the constituency.
Dunstan councillor Michael Laws said the organisation was at present "dominated by Dunedin interests and Dunedin-based councillors and staff".
"A unified Central/Lakes constituency that comprises four elected councillors, and reflects the population growth here, might redress some of that political imbalance.
"Splitting that base would suit those same Dunedin interests by diluting the effectiveness of a unified Central/Lakes constituency."
The population growth in Dunstan since the last review was 27.2%, whereas Dunedin grew by 3.8%, the lone Moeraki constituency councillor Kevin Malcolm said.
"As that trend continues, Dunstan will soon have a greater population that Dunedin.
"Where greater urban development occurs, greater environmental pressures follow.
"This review should not be about power it should be about the best mix for the environment," he said.
The aim of the review was to come up with the best and fairest way of representing all electors and all communities across Otago, Dunedin councillor Alan Somerville, said.
"The notion of one area gaining power at the expense of another doesn't enter it."
Dunedin councillor Elliot Weir said councillors wanted to ensure every councillor represented about the same amount of people.
"I think it can be unhelpful to come into the discussion thinking about winners and losers."
Further, Cr Weir said the council’s recent shift from first past the post to single transferrable vote elections should also help to improve representation in the region.
"It’s not about power or control," Dunedin Cr Andrew Noone said.
"Our day-to-day decision-making responsibilities are based on a wider regional need rather than trading one district off for another."
