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Greater say for Puketapu-Bell Block at next election

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PUBLISHED: 10 NOV 2021
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A new community board giving residents in Puketapu-Bell Block a greater say will feature at next year’s local body elections after the Mayor and Councillors voted in favour of the proposal on Tuesday (November 9).

The Puketapu-Bell Block Community Board will join Clifton, Waitara, Inglewood and Kaitake to give more than 7000 residents more say, with four members to be elected alongside one councillor who will sit on the board.

The Mayor and Councillors debated the outcome of this year’s representation review at a full council meeting, the first time representation has been reviewed since 2015.

The District will continue to be represented by a mayor and 14 councillors at next year's local elections but there is a change to the way they will be elected.

Under the proposed changes, six councillors will be elected for a new Kaitake/Ngāmotu Ward which represents New Plymouth, Ōmata, Ōkato, Bell Block and Ōākura.

The new Kōhanga Moa Ward, which consists of Inglewood, Tarata and Egmont Village, will have one councillor elected, the same as the North Ward which represents Waitara, Lepperton, Urenui and Tongaporutu. Those two wards had previously had two elected representatives.

The newly formed Maori ward, named Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa Ward, will also have one representative.

In the biggest change of the review, the five remaining councillors will be elected at large with candidates able to stand no matter where they come from.

People can have a further say on the proposed changes by appealing to the Local Government Commission once the review has been publicly notified.

For more information on the report the councillors considered, head: Here.

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Page last updated: 04:01pm Wed 10 November 2021

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