We have a new representation arrangement for our Council (mayor and councillors) that will be in place for the next election, on Saturday, 20 July 2024.
The Local Government Commission has decided on the representation arrangements for Tauranga City Council for the next election. Released on 7 April 2022, the Local Government Commission’s determination upheld the Council’s final proposal for a Mayor and nine councillors.
Local Government Commission Determination (1.3mb pdf)
For further information on the determination please refer to the Local Government Commission website.
Final proposal appeals and objections
There were 18 appeals and objections received. The Local Government Commission heard these appeals and objections on 9 March 2022. You can watch the hearing on the Local Government Commission’s Youtube site. The Local Government Commission confirmed Tauranga’s representation arrangements on 7 April 2022.
The following appeals and objections were received:
Tauranga City Council final proposal appeals and objections (2.76mb pdf)
The Council’s submission to the Local Government Commission hearing and powerpoint presentation is available below.
Tauranga City Council submission on final proposal (282kb pdf)
Tauranga City Council submission on final proposal powerpoint (1.75mb pdf)
Final proposal
The final proposal is for Tauranga residents to elect nine councillors – eight from eight general wards and one from the Māori ward – plus a mayor.
The proposed eight general wards are: Mauao/Mount Maunganui, Arataki, Pāpāmoa, Welcome Bay, Matua-Otūmoetai, Bethlehem, Tauriko and Te Papa.
The Māori ward, Te Awanui would cover the entire city.
We will continue to have no community boards under this proposal.
Having considered all objections, Council resolved to amend its Initial Proposal as follows:
- The name of the Māori ward is to be Te Awanui.
- The name of the Matua ward was changed to Matua-Otūmoetai ward.
- The proposed ward boundary between Mauao/Mount Maunganui and Arataki wards was moved to Girven Road.
- The proposed ward boundary between Arataki and Pāpāmoa wards was moved to include Pāpāmoa Plaza, Fashion Island and surrounding residential areas in the Pāpāmoa ward.
Council considers that the changes are appropriate for the following reasons:
- The name of Te Awanui was gifted by Te Rangapū Mana Whenua o Tauranga Moana. It is the original name of Tauranga harbour and follows the pathway Mauao took from the Hautere Forest to his present position.
- The name of the Matua-Otūmoetai ward better reflects the communities in the ward.
- Both the proposed boundary changes can be made and the proposal will continue to be complying. These boundary changes are appropriate and provide for more effective and fair representation of these communities along the coastal strip and will be understood by the communities of each ward.
Who gets to vote for who?
If you are on the general election roll you will vote for the mayor and vote for a ward councillor (in the area where you live).
If you are on the Māori election roll you will vote for the mayor and for the Māori ward councillor.
Everyone gets two votes.
Ward maps
View which ward your location would be a part of as a part of our final proposal.
Arataki (5mb pdf) Bethlehem (7mb pdf) Matua-Otūmoetai (5mb pdf)
Mauao/Mount Maunganui (6mb pdf) Pāpāmoa (6mb pdf) Te Papa (6mb pdf)
Tauriko (8mb pdf) Welcome Bay (7mb pdf)
The proposed names of the wards, the number of members to be elected in each ward, and the population each ward councillor will represent is set out in the table below.
| Ward name |
Number of members to be elected |
Population per member |
+/->10% |
| Te Awanui ward |
1 |
15,300 |
N/A |
| Mauao/Mount Maunganui |
1 |
15,650 |
-8.24 |
| Arataki |
1 |
17,050 |
-0.04 |
| Pāpāmoa |
1 |
17,800 |
4.36 |
| Welcome Bay |
1 |
18,000 |
5.53 |
| Matua-Otūmoetai |
1 |
18,050 |
5.83 |
| Bethlehem |
1 |
17,550 |
2.89 |
| Te Papa |
1 |
16,400 |
-3.85 |
| Tauriko |
1 |
15,950 |
-6.49 |
| Total |
9 |
|
|
Description of wards
This ward reflects the community of interest for Māori electors and those in the Māori community.
This ward includes Mount Maunganui, Omanu, Bayfair and Matapihi. It forms part of the coastal strip and recognises the unique feature of Mauao which is an important cultural, historic and geographical feature. This ward has a focus on leisure and tourism. It faces increased tsunami risk, sea level rise and coastal hazards due to its location. Improved transportation links to the City via state highways are of importance to residents.
This ward includes Arataki, Te Maunga, Palm Beach and Kairua. It forms part of the coastal strip. Like the Mauao/Mount Maunganui ward, the residents have strong links to the unique feature of Mauao and the ward has a focus on leisure and tourism. It faces increased tsunami risk, sea level rise and coastal hazards due to its location. Improved transportation links to the City via state highways are of importance to residents.
This ward includes Pāpāmoa, Golden Sands, Wairakei and Te Tumu. This coastal strip area has accelerated population growth. In the next 10 years an estimated 2-3,000 new homes will be built in the areas already zoned for housing and 7-8,000 homes once Te Tumu is zoned for housing. It also faces increased tsunami risk, sea level rise and coastal hazards due to its location. Improved transportation links to the City as well as the construction of a direct link to the Tauranga Eastern Link via the Pāpāmoa East Interchange are of importance to residents
This ward includes Welcome Bay, Maungatapu, Kaitemako, Poike and Ohauiti. These areas have a reliance on services and facilities located in other suburbs and transportation to the city centre is an important issue for local residents. More rural based residents have specific needs related to rural living.
This ward includes Matua, Otumoetai, Bellevue and Brookfield. With a large population living close to the city centre, the residents of this ward are impacted by the increase of infill housing, are interested in safer transport options and the development of community facilities.
This ward includes includes Bethlehem and Judea. With a large population living close to the city centre, the residents of this ward are impacted by the increase of infill housing, are interested in safer transport options and the development of community facilities.
This ward includes Te Papa Peninsula, Sulphur Point, CBD, Fraser Cove, Gate Pa, Tauranga South, Merivale, Yatton Park and Greerton (north of Chadwick Road). The Te Papa Spatial Plan, with its focus on increased density and city-living type housing, is estimated to increase the number of residents on the Te Papa Peninsula by 15,000 by 2050. The Cameron Road redevelopment project with improved passenger services and transport choices will have a major impact on residents. The development of community facilities, spaces and places and the inner-city revitalisation are of importance to residents.
This ward includes Pyes Pa, Hairini, Oropi, Greerton (south of Chadwick Road), The Lakes and Tauriko. The expansion of the city to the west has seen boundary changes with Western Bay to facilitate the development of business, industry and residential growth. It is estimated in the next 10 years that 3-4,000 new homes will be built, improvements will be made to SH29 and connections to it, and an additional 100-150 hectares of business land will be provided creating an additional 2,000 jobs. This ward includes rural based residents that have specific needs related to rural living.
Reasons for the proposed new representation model
This final proposal:
- Recognises the distinct communities of interest in the city based on geographical areas and provides for fair and effective representation of those communities of interest.
- Is seen as the most equitable, as both general and Māori electors vote for one councillor and the mayor.
- Has a more even distribution of electors per councillor for the general wards.
- Has the potential for a more efficient governance model with a smaller number of councillors (reduced from ten to nine).
- Is easier to understand than other representation arrangements and has a direct relationship between electors and the ward councillor.
- Has the potential for less costs for candidates standing in general wards.
- May address the concerns and issues raised by the Review and Observer Team.
- Provides the mayor with a clear leadership role across the city as the mayor is elected at large (by all voters).
- Is a more clear and simple structure, which will make the process more approachable and easier to engage with for the community and remove the potential for power imbalance amongst councillors.
- Encourages a culture of collective responsibility. Greater consistency of mandate and responsibility will support a collaborative environment within elected members.
The Commission recommends additional steps, outside of the representation review, to enhance local democracy including:
- Enhanced briefings for incoming Council
- Greater collaboration with community
- Continue the increased Council focus on community
- Initiatives to encourage voter participation and more diversity of candidates standing for office.
The Commissioners’ noted that Tauranga City has experienced a crisis in leadership, such that the Minister of Local Government in February 2021 appointed a Commission to replace the elected Council. This representation review is focused on ensuring the city can return to an efficient and effective representative Council and considers the Review and Observer Team’s comments and observations on representation.
Peter Winder, Chairperson of the Review and Observer Team, recommended that all councillors, except the Māori councillor, be elected from a larger number of smaller wards, with boundaries that reflected communities of interest. This would, in Mr Winder’s opinion “create a clear and certain mandate from the public and provide a better than even chance of delivering a functional council than the one the Team observed”.
Proposed change option
We went out for public feedback on the four options below. We are proposing the single member wards model with 9 councillors plus mayor.
The other options we considered:
Option 1: Mixed model
Option 2: Two wards
Option 3: Seven wards model
Option 4: Single member wards model
Community boards
The number of councillors
We also considered other options with 10 and 12 councillors. We listened to what you had to say in the initial community survey, that 10 members or less was the preferred number of councillors for effective representation of Tauranga.
This proposal will see nine councillors plus the mayor elected at the 2024 elections.