How we represent you: Auckland Council representation review

What a representation review is

Auckland Council holds local elections every three years. To ensure we have fair and effective representation at these elections, we must review our representation arrangements every six years.

A representation review looks at:

how many councillors we should have
how councillors should be elected
if councillors should be elected from their wards or across the whole of Auckland
the names and boundaries of wards and local boards.

A representation review makes sure that each councillor represents a similar number of people, known as the 'fairness of representation rule' or the '+/- 10 per cent rule.'

We can decide not to follow this rule if it would:

split communities of interest (people with shared interests)
join dissimilar communities (people who have very different interests or needs from those of neighbouring communities).

What we are proposing

After reviewing our representation arrangements, we propose:

changes to the Central Auckland ward boundaries (more information on page 4 of the representation review initial proposal) so they match the proposed local board boundary changes while still following the fairness of representation rule.
expanding North Shore Ward (more information on pages 4 and 5 of the representation review initial proposal) so it better follows the fairness of representation rule.
adding two subdivisions to Rodney Local Board (more information on page 6 and 7 of the representation review initial proposal) to better reflect the shared interests of rural communities.
splitting Botany subdivision (more information on page 5 of the representation review initial proposal) to provide better representation for the Flat Bush community.
not following the fairness of representation rule for certain local boards (more information on pages 7 and 8 of the representation review initial proposal) to avoid splitting established communities.
minor changes to local board boundaries (more information on page 8 of the representation review initial proposal) to better match community areas with their reserves.

Use our map viewer to view the proposed boundary changes to wards and local boards and their subdivisions.

What we want your feedback on

We want to know:

what you think of the changes outlined in the representation review initial proposal
if you have any other feedback about how your community can be better represented in the future.

How you can have your say

To have your say, you can:

complete our online feedback form
email representationreview@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
phone 09 301 0101
visit your local library with council services
post your submission to:

Auckland Council Representation Review
Freepost Number 190198
Private Bag 92300
Victoria Street West
Auckland 1142.

Let us know if you wish to speak about your submission and make sure you provide your contact details when you send your feedback.

When you can have your say

You can have your say from 12pm Monday 8 July to 4pm Thursday 8 August 2024.

Have your say now

What happens next

Once the consultation closes, hearings will take place for those who have indicated they wish to speak to their submission. We will then decide if the initial proposal needs any changes in response to your feedback.

If changes are needed, we will first make these and then announce the final proposal with a public notice. The Governing Body will decide on the final representation arrangements for the 2025 local elections in September 2024.

Once the final proposal has been approved, there will be time for the public to lodge objections or appeals between 3 October and 3 November 2024.

The Local Government Commission will consider any objections, and the council’s final proposal, before deciding whether to approve changes by April 2025.