Consultation by the Local Government Commission on proposed ward boundaries for the new Auckland Council closed on 11 December.
You can read the full Consultation Document online here. In summary, for the northern sector of Auckland the Local Government Commission is proposing:
1. A Rodney Ward, electing one councillor, covering most of the present
Rodney District but excluding the Hibiscus Coast and an area south of
Muriwai Beach which will be included in the Waitakere Ward (in order
to keep the Waitakere Ranges heritage area in one ward)
2. A Hibiscus-Albany-East Coast Bays Ward electing two councillors
3. A North Shore Ward, electing two councillors, covering Glenfield,
Birkenhead, Takapuna and Devonport.
A summary of wards and a summary of local boards can be viewed here.
Rural Rodney Ward (View Map of Proposed Ward)
Extract from the full LG Commission Consultation Document:
We are required to establish a single-member ward based on the rural area of Rodney District.
We were advised by the Rodney District Council that over 92% of the Rodney District has some type of rural zoning. The Council also commented that the community outcomes processes, undertaken by the Council under the Local Government Act 2002, and resulting frameworks showed ‘ruralness’ to be “not only a matter of land use; it is also a matter of perception. Many people consider they are living in a rural environment as long as ridge lines are not built out and they are not in a substantially built-up area.” We agree that perception is an important element in defining ‘rural’.
The Rodney District Council submitted that what it described as the
“potentially urban area” around Kumeu and Huapai could be excluded from the rural ward and included in a ward to the south. While this may be an area designated for future growth, we see these towns continuing to provide important servicing functions for the adjacent rural areas. We believe therefore that this area should be part of the proposed rural ward.
In terms of overall fairness of representation, it is desirable to include as many people as possible in the rural Rodney Ward. On this basis we have defined a Rodney Ward, electing one councillor as required by the Act, comprising all of the Rodney District with the exception of the Hibiscus Coast and a small area on the West Coast (so that all of the Waitakere Ranges heritage area is in one ward). We note that the proposed Rodney Ward has a population per councillor less than other wards (i.e. over-representation).
We are aware that the size of the proposed rural ward is near the limits for one councillor to provide effective representation given the distance to be travelled for the carrying out of representation responsibilities. However we believe the important role local boards will play in representing local community interests, addressed later in this report, will lessen these concerns.
Hibiscus Coast (View Map of Proposed Ward)
Extract from the full LG Commission Consultation Document:
The remaining part of Rodney District, the Hibiscus Coast, has a population of 41,800 which is insufficient to form a standalone ward of the Auckland Council. We propose that this area be combined with the northern area of North Shore City.
The Hibiscus Coast area, including Waiwera, Hatfields Beach, Orewa,
Silverdale and the Whangaparaoa Peninsula is clearly urban in nature and includes the majority of the commercially zoned area of the Rodney District. It has a coastal orientation in common with the East Coast Bays area of North Shore and its links to the south include the over 40% of Rodney residents who work in the Auckland metropolis.
An alternative of splitting some of the East Coast Bays and/or Albany
communities to combine with Hibiscus Coast to form a single-member ward would split clearly recognised communities of interest within and between East Coast Bays and Albany. On the other hand a two-member ward for the combined area provides a small degree of over-representation which we believe can be justified given the forecast population growth in the Albany and Long Bay areas.
For the reasons already noted in support of establishing two-member wards, we believe it would be appropriate to establish two-member wards for both the northern area of North Shore/Hibiscus Coast and for the rest of the North Shore.
Local Boards
View Map of Proposed Rodney Board
View Map of Proposal Hibiscus Coast/ Albany/ East Coast Bays Board
Extract from the full LG Commission Consultation Document:
We propose one local board be established coinciding with the Rodney Ward. Given the size and geography of the area, we believe there should be three subdivisions for this local board area based on Wellsford-Warkworth, Dairy Flat and Helensville. The Wellsford Warkworth subdivision would elect three board members, the Dairy Flat subdivision one member and the Helensville subdivision three members.
We propose one local board be established coinciding with the Hibiscus- Albany-East Coast Bays Ward. Given the distinct nature of communities of interest within this area, we believe there should be three subdivisions for the local board area based on Hibiscus Coast, Albany and East Coast Bays each electing three board members.
We propose two local boards be established within the boundaries of the
North Shore Ward based on Glenfield-Birkenhead and Takapuna-Devonport. Each local board area reflects a distinct community of interest while also containing distinct communities of interest within the area. We therefore propose that the Glenfield-Birkenhead Local Board be divided into Glenfield and Birkenhead subdivisions both electing three members and that the Takapuna-Devonport Local Board be divided into Takapuna and Devonport subdivisions electing three and two members respectively.
Northern and coastal boundaries
Extract from the full LG Commission Consultation Document:
As well as determining the southern boundary, we are also required to
determine the remaining boundaries of Auckland. These are the northern
boundary between Auckland and the Northland Region, and the coastal
boundaries in the Hauraki Gulf and the Tasman Sea.
A number of people expressed the view that the part of Rodney District
centred on Wellsford, north of the Hoteo River and Dome Forest, should be included in Kaipara District and the Northland Region.
As with the southern boundary, we are required to follow the existing northern boundary “so far as is practicable”. We were not able to identify any reason that did not make the existing northern boundary practicable in the sense that it could not work in practice. We therefore propose that the existing northern boundary of the Auckland Region (and of Rodney District) be the northern boundary of Auckland.
There has been no suggestion that the eastern and western coastal
boundaries should change and we propose that they remain as they are
currently defined.