"Maintain the status quo" — with minor boundary changes and a name change — forms the basis of Clutha District Council’s initial representation review proposal, which it has approved for the next phase of public consultation.
Council members rubber-stamped the proposal document without discussion during their regular council meeting in Balclutha on Thursday, voting to recommend retaining current levels of representation by councillors and community boards.
Legislation requires regional councils to review their representation arrangements every six years.
Clutha has 14 councillors representing eight wards at present, and two community boards, each with six elected members, representing Lawrence-Tuapeka and West Otago respectively.
In addition, the Clutha District mayor is elected "at large", making a full council of 15 members.
Under the proposals, this structure would remain in place; the current "first past the post" electoral system would also be retained.
It was a "proven system with numbers that work", Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan said.
"We gave serious consideration to some of the alternatives, which included reducing councillor numbers, but the electorate has told us time and again they want to have a local, accessible representative. The current system delivers that."
However, some refinements were necessary, he said.In order to resolve representative and technical issues with electoral wards Bruce and Catlins, changes were proposed to their boundaries.
The Local Electoral Act 2001 (LEA) requires the proportion of resident population to councillors for any given ward to sit within +/-10% of the district average (1253 people per councillor for Clutha).
Under the present ward boundaries, Bruce exceeds that requirement, at 11.97% (1403 people for each of three ward councillors); and Catlins runs at a deficit of -20.19% (1000; one councillor).
Following consultation with key council stakeholders during a series of workshops beginning in November last year, boundary changes were proposed which would divide a western, rural slice of Bruce Ward between Clutha Valley Ward, and a newly-named Tuapeka Ward (formerly Lawrence-Tuapeka).
Further south, coastal township Kaka Pt would be redesignated part of the Catlins Ward, in order to reflect a "better community of interest".
The new boundaries, if approved, would bring representation variance to 9.98% for Bruce, and 1.36% for Catlins, while also maintaining Clutha Valley and Tuapeka wards’ compliance.
Affected rural hamlets in Bruce Ward include Pukekoma and Hillend, which would move to Clutha Valley. Round Hill and Manuka Creek would move to Tuapeka.
Mr Cadogan said the next phase for the process was public consultation. Submissions were invited by post and email, or online at the council’s website.
Submissions formally open on Wednesday, and close at 5pm on August 3.
Those submissions would be heard on August 23, and public notification of the final proposal would occur on September 5, at which time appeals could be lodged, until October 12.
Mr Cadogan encouraged people to get involved.
"It’s vital for the democratic process that the public engages during consultation, and tells us what they want to see."
