Auckland City Local Governance Statement

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Representation arrangements

Wards and Constituencies

Auckland City Council is divided into 7 wards. The Mayor is elected on a citywide basis and 19 Councillors are elected from the following wards:

Avondale/Roskill	4 Councillors
Eden/Albert	3 Councillors
Eastern Bays	2 Councillors
Hauraki Gulf Islands	1 Councillor
Hobson	3 Councillors
Tamaki/Maungakiekie	4 Councillors
Western Bays	2 Councillors

Maori Wards
The Local Electoral Act 2001 also gives the council the ability to establish Maori wards. To establish Maori wards, the council may either resolve to create these or conduct a poll on the matter. Similarly, the community may demand that a poll be held on the matter. A petition of five percent (or more) of electors can require the council to conduct a poll.

Community Boards

Auckland City has 10 Community Boards, the composition of which is as follows:

Avondale	5 Members elected by the community, plus 2 Councillors appointed by Council
Eastern Bays	5 Members elected by the community, plus 2 Councillors appointed by Council
Eden/Albert	6 Members elected by the community, plus 3 Councillors appointed by Council
Great Barrier	5 Members elected by the community, plus 1 Councillor appointed by Council*
Hobson	6 Members elected by the community, plus 3 Councillors appointed by Council
Maungakiekie	5 Members elected by the community, plus 2 Councillors appointed by Council
Mt Roskill	5 Members elected by the community, plus 2 Councillors appointed by Council
Tamaki	5 Members elected by the community, plus 2 Councillors appointed by Council
Waiheke	5 Members elected by the community, plus 1 Councillor appointed by Council*
Western Bays	5 Members elected by the community, plus 2 Councillors appointed by Council

Each Community Board elects its own chairperson at its first meeting after election.

Changing Representation Arrangements
The council is required to review its representation arrangements at least once every six years. This review must include the following:
- the number of elected members (between six and 30 including the Mayor);
- whether the elected members (other than the Mayor) are to be elected by the entire city (at large), or continue to be elected by the ward (or a mix of both systems)
- the boundaries and names of wards and the number of members to represent each ward (if election by wards is preferred);
- whether or not to have Maori wards
- whether to have community boards and if so how many, their boundaries and membership and whether to subdivide a community for electoral purposes.
The council is required to follow the procedures set out in the Local Electoral Act 2001 when conducting its review and should also follow guidelines published by the Local Government Commission. The Act provides the opportunity for members of the public to make written submissions to the council, and the right for such submissions to be heard

Any matters relating to a final representation review can also be appealed to the Local Government Commission for a hearing. Further details on the matters that the council must consider in reviewing its membership and basis of election can be found in the Local Electoral Act 2001.

The council last conducted its representation review in August 2006 and is not legally required to review its representation again until August 2012.
Reorganisation Process
The Local Government Act 2002 sets out procedures, which must be followed during proposals to:
- make changes to the boundaries of the City;
- create one or more new Territorial Local Authorities (City or District Councils);
- create a Unitary Authority, for example transferring the functions of the Auckland Regional Council to Auckland City Council;
- transfer a particular function or functions to another council.
The procedures for resolving each type of proposal are slightly different. In general, they begin with a proposal from the local authority, the Minister of Local Government, or by a petition signed by 10 percent of electors.

Proposals for a boundary alteration or the transfer of functions from one local authority to another will be considered by one of the affected local authorities or by the Local Government Commission if the local authorities refer the proposal to the Commission. The Commission will deal with proposals for the establishment of a new City/District or for the creation of a Unitary Authority. These proposals cannot be implemented without a poll of electors.

Further information on these requirements can be found in the Local Government Act. The Local Government Commission has also prepared guidelines on procedures for local government reorganisation.

Updated July 2008