Ten heads are better than seven.
That’s Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board’s response to Waipā District Council’s proposal to reduce the number of general ward councillors from 10 to seven.
Susan O’Regan
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan and councillors are considering the proposal as part of a representation review requiring the combining of the current Maungatautari and Pirongia-Kakepuku general wards.
But it has been branded a complete waste of time and money by board deputy chair Kane Titchener.
“I am totally against this representation review,” he told the latest board meeting. “I don’t believe reducing the number of councillors is going to open democracy at all in this district.”
Council governance manager Jo Gread in a report that went before the board’s August meeting said the combining of the two rural general wards was required to ensure legislative requirements were met for fair representation.
A 10 per cent rules requires the ratio of people to councillor in each ward to be no more than 10 percent greater or smaller than the ratio of population per councillor across the whole district.
Kane Titchener
If the proposed review was approved, there would be no obligation to undertake a further representation review in 2027.
Board member Jill Taylor thought the status quo would lead to better representation around the council table.
“I totally agree we should stick to 10 councillors and not go down to seven,” she said.
Board member Sally Whitaker was disappointed that the representation review had got as far as it had.
“I believe 10 is better than seven because we want a bigger pool of thought and ideas and diversity.”
Board member John Wood said the council did not have the money to afford a representation review.
“This just does not sit well with me,” added board chair Ange Holt. “It frightens me, if we cut it down too much, we are not opening it up to diversity.”
