Representation review 2024 - Final proposal

Local Government Commission decision confirmed – April 2025

The Local Government Commission has confirmed the final outcome of our representation review as detailed on their website – Public notice: Kapiti Coast District Council - Representation Review 2025(External link).

Following last year's review, the Council structure for this year’s local elections has been confirmed by the Local Government Commission.This includes decisions about wards and community boards and their boundaries, and the number of elected members our Kāpiti residents can vote for.

Although we completed a comprehensive representation review in 2021 (with the next one not due until 2027), Council's decision to introduce a Māori ward meant another review was required to make sure the new Māori ward would be in place in time for the 2025 elections.

In October 2024, Council confirmed changes including a new Māori ward covering the entire district, with a new Māori ward councillor to represent it (replacing one districtwide councillor), and adjustments to the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward and Community Board boundaries.

The Commission’s determination upholds the Council’s final representation proposal. For most of the community, this means you'll vote in October 2025 the same way as you did in the last election. There are two key exceptions:

• people living in Emerald Glen and Valley Road communities will now vote in the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward and the Paekākāriki Community Board members
• voters on the Māori roll will vote for the Kapiti Coast Māori Ward councillor.

Read the full Local Government Commision Determination 2025(External link).

Final proposal for the Council structure for 2025 local elections

On Thursday 31 October 2024, Council resolved their final proposal for the Council structure for the 2025 local elections.

• View the Final proposal – Representation arrangements for local body elections 2025

In line with the Local Electoral Act (2001) the population each general ward councillor represents must be within a +/-10% range of 7,651 (so between 6,886 and 8,416). Legislation calls this fair and effective representation of communities of interest and is dependent on the number of general ward councillors and the overall population size of the district. All wards are within this range.

Background

The final proposal decison follows preliminary engagement and formal consultation on an initial proposal the community was invited to submit feedback on between 8 August and 12 September 2024.

The initial proposal(External link) (proposed Council structure) included:

• one mayor
• four general wards represented by seven elected councillors
• two districtwide councillors
• one Māori ward councillor
• five community boards with four elected members each and a specified number of ward councillors appointed to the boards.

In total this equated to 10 councillors, one mayor and 20 community board members, with one districtwide seat replaced at the Council table by the new Māori ward seat.

Boundary changes were also proposed for:

• the Ōtaki and Waikanae ward and community board boundaries at Te Horo moving further south past Te Hapua Road
• the Paekākāriki-Raumati and Paraparaumu ward boundaries at Emerald Glen and Valley Road moving further east to incorporate these communities into the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward.
• Paekākāriki and Paraparaumu community board boundaries to match the above proposed boundary changes for Emerald Glen and Valley Road.

Council received 442 written and nine oral submissions(External link) on its initial proposal. The submissions were analysed and summarised in a report(External link) considered by Council on 31 October 2024.

Final Proposal

Having considered all submissions, on 31 October 2024, Council resolved that the proposal be adopted, subject to the following three amendments:

• The proposed name of the Māori ward be amended to Kapiti Coast Māori Ward - removing the macron on Kapiti.
• The proposed boundary between the Waikanae and Ōtaki Wards and Community Boards remains in its current place (down Te Horo Beach Road and School Road) and not moved south past Te Hapua Road.
• The membership of the Paraparaumu Community Board includes one ward councillor appointed back from either the Paraparaumu General Ward or the Kapiti Coast Māori Ward rather than the current two councillors appointed back.

Council considers the amendments appropriate for the following reasons:

• Mana whenua support the name of the Māori ward if the proposed macron on Kapiti is removed. Council considers it appropriate for mana whenua to gift a name to the ward.
• Analysis of submissions received from residents in Te Horo directly affected by the proposed boundary changes highlighted the majority preferred to retain the status quo rather than move the boundary south to Te Hapua Road.
• Councillors discussed the discrepancy between councillor appointments on community boards and considered that making the appointments more equitable and consistent by only appointing once councillor to each community board is appropriate. This removes the discrepancy between community boards and sees only one councillor of either the Paraparaumu General Ward or Kapiti Coast Māori Ward appointed to the Paraparaumu Community Board instead of two.

Council rejected submissions that disagreed with the Council structure of two at-large (districtwide), seven general ward, and one Māori ward councillor because the majority disagreed with the proposed structure because of the Māori ward establishment.

Council affirmed its decision to establish a Māori ward on 6 August 2024 and at this time can no longer disestablish the ward. The Māori ward will be in place for the 2025 local body elections and Council will hold a poll to determine the future of the ward at the elections in line with the provisions of the amended Local Electoral Act 2001.

Further Information

Copies of the full proposal, including Council’s resolution, consultation document and maps setting out the areas of the wards may be viewed and obtained on our (External link) Council meetings webpage(External link) or by asking a member of our library or service centre teams:

• Civic Administration Building, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu
• Paraparaumu Library, Iver Trask Place, Paraparaumu
• Waikanae Library and Waikanae Service Centre, Mahara Place, Waikanae
• Ōtaki Library and Service Centre, Main Street, Ōtaki
• Paekākāriki Library, 14 Wellington Road, Paekākāriki (Mondays and Wednesdays 1:30pm to 4:30pm, and Saturdays 10:00am to 2:00pm)

Any queries regarding the Council’s proposal should be directed to governance@kapiticoast.govt.nz(External link).