Representation review to determine council seats

Background information

Proposed representation arrangements:

• Taupō Ward (7 councillors). This is the urban area of Taupō encompassing Acacia Bay to Waitahanui and including Kinloch and the part of Oruanui that comprise the areas to the south of Poihipi Road. This is the status quo.
• Mangakino/Pouakani Ward (1 councillor), which comprises the urban township of Mangakino and the mainly rural area from Waihaha to Kawakawa including the rural localities of Tihoi, Mokai, Orakei Korako, Tirohanga and Whakamaru and the hydro villages of Whakamaru and Atiamuri. This is the status quo. Judging solely according to population, this area wouldn’t merit its own seat, so this proposal will need to be approved by the Local Government Commission.
• Taupō East Rural Ward (1 councillor). This ward covers the mainly rural and afforested areas of Broadlands, Rangitaiki, Taharua, Oruanui (north of Poihipi Road) and Wairakei-Aratiatia which includes Ohaaki and Wairakei Village. This is the status quo. Similarly to Mangakino/Pouakani, this area wouldn’t merit its own seat, so this proposal will also need to be approved by the Local Government Commission.
• Turangi/Tongariro Ward (1 councillor), being the area comprising the Turangi Township and mainly rural and afforested area from Hatepe to Whanganui Bay including the lakeshore settlements of Omori, Pukawa Bay, Kuratau, Whareroa, Tokaanu, Waihi, Motutere, Motuoapa, Te Rangiita and Hatepe. This is a reduction from 2 councillors.
• One District-wide Māori Ward (2 councillors). The decision to introduce this ward has already made and is not in the scope of the review, though how it should work is.

Turangi-Tongariro

Mana Whakahono co-governance committee

Over several years Council and Ngati Tūrangitukua, the mana whenua (the iwi that holds authority) of the Tūrangitukua rohe (area) that includes the Tūrangi township and its surrounds have been in discussions to find ways to improve their relationship and build on their shared aspiration of working together in partnership on a range of matters for the benefit of both Ngāti Tūrangitukua as mana whenua of the area, and the wider community.

They have been developing a comprehensive relationship-based agreement that will include establishment of a co-governance committee. This will be a committee of Council made up of an equal number of members from Ngāti Tūrangitukua and the Council.

The agreement will include a Mana Whakahono ā Rohe—which is a relatively recent Iwi Participation tool under the Resource Management Act (RMA), designed to assist tangata whenua and local authorities to discuss, agree and record how they will work together, including how tangata whenua will be involved in resource management decisions.

The agreement will also cover matters wider than the RMA, which reflects the aspirations of both parties to enhance their working partnership on a range of functions within the Ngāti Tūrangitukua rohe and Ngāti Tūrangitukua’s aspiration to make decisions over particular matters within its rohe.

Community representative group

The other planned committee for the Turangi-Tongariro Ward would be a community representative group, such as already exist in other wards in the district. These groups have a mix of councillors, appointed locals, and Māori. Their job is to review and provide advice on proposals that affect the area and make decisions on local matters.

The envisaged group for the remainder of the Turangi-Tongariro ward (known as the Tongariro part of the ward) would cover:

• Whareroa – Kuratau/Omori – Pukawa
• Waihi – Tokaanu, and the wider Tongariro area
• Motuoapa – Hatepe – Tauranga-Taupō

It is likely to include the Mayor, the local councillor, appointed members from these local settlements, and iwi.