100 signatures reached
To: Local Government Commission
Fair Council Representation for Mount Roskill
We request the Local Government Commission to provide us with a council ward with boundaries serving a population like that of our four neighbouring wards of no more than 90,000 people rather than the 177,800 currently proposed. We wish to be able to elect an accessible Councillor able to understand the particular needs of our neighbourhood including:-
– precious natural features such as the Manukau Harbour, parks and coastal reserves, Oakley Creek (Te Auaunga) and volcanic cones;
– our multicultural population;
– catering for 10,000 or more extra households through the redevelopment of Housing New Zealand properties;
– and provision of public transport giving us good choices of employment, education and recreation.
Why is this important?
There is currently a representation review which occurs every six years to set up the wards which elect local councillors for Auckland City.
A working party of four councillors and four local board members has been working through a consultation process and will be putting up a final proposal to the council governing body on 19 October.
The proposal being put forward will make the Albert-Eden-Roskill ward population of 177,800 the highest of any ward. This is far too big a population for effective representation.
Councillors are more accessible and accountable when representing manageable populations. and can focus on our particular issues.
The number of events that those councillors are expected to attend are reduced with a smaller population and they can focus on more local issues.
At present Auckland has seven wards which elect two councillors each and six (Waitemata and Gulf, Orakei, Maungakiekie-Tamaki, Whau, Rodney and Franklin) one each.
The present situation gives some wards two to two and and half times as many people as others. The cost (in time and/or money) to candidates seeking to reach these numbers is much higher than for those contesting single member wards. This is likely to limit the numbers willing to stand in those wards.
If the governing body accept the new Working Party proposal with 177,800 people in the Albert-Eden-Roskill (or Albert Eden Puketapapa ) it will be a decision that results in less effective representation for our neighbourhood. The Local Government Commission will make the final decision in November or December. Please sign to support a representative council for Albert-Eden-Roskill ward.