That is because the population within Ahuriri remains "over represented" under the requirements of the Local Electoral Act.
Following the mandatory six-yearly representation review by the Waitaki District Council in August, the council on October 29 voted for the "status quo" to keep the existing ward structure across the district the same.
The Ahuriri Community Board on November 11 heard the population to justify a community board and an elected council representative remained below the requirements of plus or minus 10%.
A council staff report said the Ahuriri area population of 2040, as of June 30 last year, from Duntroon inland into the Ohau basin, remained at 16.2% below the Electoral Act requirement per elected representative.
In 2018, the council successfully gained an exemption from the Local Government Commission.
Community board chairman Callum Reid said none of the reasons for continuing the status quo had changed significantly since 2018.
The ward represented a very large geographic area in contrast to a more urban outlook.
"It’s all set by Wellington who thinks everyone lives around one town."
Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said Ahuriri covered about 59% of the district, or around 4000sqkm, and had a sparse population.
That did not mean it should not have its own representation.
Mr Kircher said the latest review had highlighted a growing population and he believed the Local Government Commission would again make an exemption for Ahuriri.
Mr Reid said the inclusion of Duntroon into Ahuriri in 2018 had made sense given its community interest was more orientated towards Kurow.
The Ahuriri boundaries had also been lined up with the Environment Canterbury area which encompassed that side of the Waitaki Valley.
The recommending report to the October 29 council meeting, which adopted the status quo, noted the ward population was still 396 below the official representation threshold.
But the upward population trend had continued since 2018, due to tourism and economic development.
Its non-compliance ratio of 16.2% in 2023 was a considerable decrease "in over representation" from the nearly 22% of 2018.
"The Ahuriri Ward spans a very large geographical area comprising isolated communities with separate and distinct needs which consequently require a separate councillor and community board to be represented," the recommending report said.
