October 26 2021
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New regional council line-up u by Paul Campbell
Two Māori councillors will be part of a nine-strong Northland Regional Council ticket for next year’s local body elections.
Dementia unit goes operational
With a final audit by the Ministry of Health completed last Friday, the multimillion-dollar dementia unit …
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CCTV surges ahead
Anti-crime cameras in Dargaville have been upgraded as the township of Ruawai awaits the imminent arrival of its own security-focussed network …
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Reversing land clearance effect
With summer months in the offing of the use of fires outdoors will be governed by strict rules, and a total fire ban …
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The Māori councillors will represent Te Raki, a new region-wide constituency. Chair Penny Smart says while the decision to establish Māori constituencies and to use the First Past the Post electoral system had already been made, the council had recently sought public feedback. After considering submissions, the council decided on a proposed model that would have nine councillors with seven general councillors from seven general constituencies and two Māori councillors elected from the region-wide Māori constituency, Te Raki, the latter with an electoral population of approximately 48,000. The general constituencies would be Far North with an electoral population of 21,500 people, Coastal Central (20,800), Coastal South (21,000), Kaipara (19,900), Mid North (20,300), Whangārei Central (22,300) and Bay of Islands-Whangaroa (21,100). Kaipara general constituency will extend from Waipoua down to the southern boundary of the Northland region, including Kaiwaka. Legally, each councillor must represent roughly the same number of people plus or minus 10%. Aside from the Te Raki constituency, which only those on the Māori electoral roll could vote for, the proposed key changes from the current model are: • The proposed Whangārei Central general constituency is smaller and confined to the city centre. There would be a single councillor instead of the current two recognising that
p Penny Smart, Northland Regional Council chair
people living in Whangārei have easy access to the council’s main office, services and councillors, unlike some more remote parts of the region • The outer fringes/suburbs of Whangārei are reflected in the surrounding constituencies • A new Mid North general constituency incorporating Hikurangi, Towai, Kawakawa and Moerewa to ensure these communities are well represented
• A new general constituency specific to the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa area, which has been identified as a clear community of interest and experiencing considerable growth. Chair Smart says at its heart, the review is about how best to achieve fair and effective representation for Northlanders within the legislative requirements councils are bound by. For more information, visit nrc.govt.nz/ representationmatters. ¢
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