WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL TO MODIFY WARD BOUNDARIES IN BROOKLYN AND SOUTHGATE

Wellington City Council is mulling moving the ward zone, and even a city councillor will be shunted out if the boundary lines are modified. The council is legally obliged to review its arrangements for elections every six years and its review of representation for the 2019 and 2022 elections proposes to change ward boundaries to better reflect communities. It is also being proposed that Southgate will become part of the Eastern ward and for all wards to have bilingual names. Deputy Mayor Jill Day told councillors at a meeting on Wednesday, the council's current arrangements did not meet the criteria for a fair representation.  "Each councillor must represent the same number of people but at the moment the Eastern and Lambton Wards do not meet that." Research showed people would also be interested in giving te reo names to the wards, she said. "It's beautiful, it's official and it's ours … We want Wellington to take hold of these names. I think Wellington is ready to recognise its te reo history …" Public consultation will run from April 4 - May 4 and councillors will vote on the final proposal on May 30. Proposed bi-lingual ward names: • Pukehīnau – Lambton Ward • Motukairangi – Eastern Ward • Paekawakawa – Southern Ward • Wharangi – Onslow-Western Ward • Takapū – Northern Ward..... https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/102680600/Wellington-City-Council-to-modify-ward-boundaries-in-Brooklyn-and-Southgate