Opinions sought on ward system

The Dunedin City Council is keen to hear from as many people as possible as it works through a review that could introduce major changes to the city's voting system.

A random survey of 1000 people has been completed, and another has being distributed through council magazine City Talk, to gain an insight into what changes people want.

Review team member Prof Geoff Kearsley, of the University of Otago, said the team was placing "considerable value" on the public's view, after already gathering the views of councillors, community board members, and executive staff.

The council is required to do a representation review of its ward system by September 2009.

Councillors have in the past indicated little support for the current system, where voters can choose from a limited number of candidates in their ward.

The city is split into six wards, three in rural areas: the Green Island-Saddle Hill; Mosgiel-Taieri and Waikouaiti Coast-Chalmers wards, and three in the city: the Cargill; Hills and South Dunedin wards.

Between one and four councillors represent each ward, depending on its population.

There are 14 councillors, a mayor, and six community boards, each with six elected board members, a total of 51 elected members.

The only poll in which all voters have a say is the mayoral race.

Councillors have expressed support in the past for an amalgamation of the city wards, and a possible outcome could be a "super ward" for Dunedin, where all voters get to vote, or not, for all the councillors to represent the urban areas.

Prof Kearsley said there was a clear view coming from the public, but it was too early in the process to say what that was.

The team also had to consider how to make a system work within relevant legislation, as it was constrained by the ratios between councillors and voters.

"Dunedin is a fairly geographically constrained city, with a large rural area," Prof Kearsley said.

The representative arrangements have to be determined for public notification by September 8, followed by a submission period, an appeals period, and a determination by April 11, next year.

The council makes the decision, but if it is appealed, the Local Government Commission becomes the final arbiter, as happened in the late 1990s, when a metro ward was proposed, but overturned by the commission after an appeal.

It was expected some idea of the public's views on the issue would be made public by next month or June.

 

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