Councillors opt for two wards plus Māori ward for Nelson

Tuesday, 19 October 2021

Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese failed narrowly in a bid.

The Nelson City Council has voted in favour of a mixed two-ward system for the 2022 local government elections, with a late proposal from Mayor Rachel Reese for a four-ward model failing narrowly.

A two-ward mixed model recommended by council staff had been the preferred option after a representation review meeting in August. It will divide Nelson into two general wards and one Māori ward, while retaining several “at large” councillors.

However, at the beginning of the meeting on Tuesday, Reese put her support behind a four-ward model, alongiside the Māori ward.

A Nelson City Council graphic showing two ward boundaries.

* Three-ward system for Nelson elections gets backing from council

* Representation review coincides with Māori Ward decision

After discussion and debate, the four-ward proposal failed in a 7-6 vote.

Councillors Tim Skinner, Kate Fulton, Yvonne Bowater and Gaile Noonan voted in favour of Reese's proposal, along with Deputy Mayor Judene Edgar.

Councillors Rachel Sanson, Matt Lawrey, Pete Rainey, Rohan O’Neill-Stevens, Mel Courtney, Brian McGurk, and Trudie Brand voted against.

The two-ward model was then approved with only Cr Skinner voting against.

Along with the differing amount of wards between the two options, one of the key differences was the retention of some 'at large” councillors within the two-ward setup. The four-ward proposal comprising only ward councillors.

Mayor Reese argued the four-ward model would promote more diversity and better representation across the city.

“I do think there is a strong connection to where people live in our city. That's not the case for everybody, but for a large number of people in the community.

“Door knocking across Nelson is very big task, and can only be achieved if you have a political party machine behind you or a really well-financed campaign team. That rules out people who don’t have either the connections or financial capacity.”

Deputy Mayor Edgar said while no system was perfect, the four-ward model seemed to be a simpler and clearer option.

Councillor Skinner said the model would mean community representatives would be more likely to be elected than politicians.

On the opposing side, Councillor Sanson said she could not vote for the four-ward system, as it would mean Māori roll voters could only vote for their Māori ward candidate and the mayor.

“If I support this it would perpetuate a system that disadvantages Māori roll voters.”

Councillor Rainey said there was currently enough upheaval with the voting system already, particularly with the upcoming local government review.

“I can’t think for a moment that we won’t end up with an amalgamated region at some point in the future.

“If that is the case, I doubt very much whether Nelson City would be represented by four wards.”

Councillor Lawrey said the “at large” model had worked best for Nelson, which unfortunately was not able to work alongside the Māori ward system.

Councillor McGurk expressed concern that small wards could be dominated by older and more conservative voters, and that “more liberal views might get lost”.

After going out for public feedback in August, 21 submissions were received. While most of those were individual submissions, one was submitted on behalf of the Nelson Citizens Alliance.

At a council meeting earlier in October, Citizens Alliance spokesman Murray Cameron advocated for five wards, including the Maori Ward, saying it would allow for more connection with local communities, and provide greater exposure and scrutiny of candidates in the lead up to elections.

Of the other submissions, six were in favour of the council option, along with five supporting a single general ward.

The move to a ward system was made necessary by a council decision in May to set up a Maori Ward in Nelson for the 2022 and 2025 local government elections.

As Māori Wards can only operate within a ward system, this meant the Nelson electorate also had to move away from its current “at large” system to a ward system in time for the 2022 elections.

While council’s final decision has been made, the decision is to be publicly notified and can be appealed by those who made submissions on the original proposal.

How the new model works:

The option approved by council by staff will divide Nelson into two general wards and one Māori ward, while retaining several “at large” councillors.

The first of the general wards, Central, will comprise the northern, central and eastern parts of the region.

Voters in this ward will be able to vote for four General Ward councillors, with a population per ward councillor of 6,458.

The second general ward, Stoke-Tāhunanui, will comprise the southern urban part of the region.

Voters in this ward would also be able to vote for four general ward councillors, with a population per ward councillor of 6,370.

The Whakatū Māori ward would cover the whole electorate for voters on the Māori roll, with one Māori Ward councillor up for election at a population per ward councillor of 3,280.

Along with the councillors in their respective wards, all voters would also be entitled to vote for three “at large” councillors, as well as the mayor.