At yesterday's district council meeting, councillors discussed final changes to the CDC's representation review, with the majority content to retain the district's two community boards.
The Clutha district is split into eight wards: Balclutha, Bruce, Catlins, Clinton, Clutha Valley, Kaitangata-Matau, Lawrence-Tuapeka and West Otago, with the latter two having their own community boards.
Cr Bruce Vollweiler said he did not agree with the representation proposal and would seek the disestablishment of the Lawrence-Tuapeka and West Otago community boards.
He recommended that no new community boards be established in the district.
"They have served their purpose.
"I think West Otago and Lawrence-Tuapeka are well-represented by the ward system, as is the rest of the district."
However, Cr Hamish Anderson supported the retention of existing community boards but not the creation of additional boards.
Lawrence-Tuapeka councillor Geoff Blackmore said community boards gave members a chance to gain a good grounding in local government, and ratepayers in both wards were well aware of the community board rate charged each year.
"People in both wards have strong disconnect with Balclutha ... Community boards help bring them back. If they [the community] didn't want a community board, they would tell you."
Seven councillors and the mayor voted to adopt the representation proposal without making any changes, with Crs Vollweiler, Mary Johnstone, Joanna Lowrey, John Cochrane, Ron Davis and Stewart Cowie voting against. Cr Gaynor Finch was absent from the meeting.
Mr Cowie, the Clutha Valley ward councillor, voted against the adoption of the representation proposal, saying that, while he had no problems with community boards, he did not agree with some of the ward changes, which he said did not make sense.
The ward boundary changes affect the Lawrence-Tuapeka and West Otago community boards, with the former decreasing in size and the latter increasing.
They also include removing Tuapeka Mouth and part of the Waitahuna West area from the Lawrence-Tuapeka ward and adding it to Clutha Valley, and adding the Waipahi area to the West Otago ward.
At a council meeting in April, a motion that the Lawrence-Tuapeka and West Otago community boards be disestablished and that no new community boards be established in the district sparked a lengthy debate among councillors.
The motion was lost with a seven-seven split, and another motion to retain the status quo was passed when Mayor Bryan Cadogan used his casting vote to break the deadlock.
The representation review is required by law every six years.
