More than 3000 people on the Māori roll may be switched from one electorate to another under a new proposal by the Representation Commission.
Proposed electoral boundaries and names have been announced today amid the 2025 Boundary Review.
The only proposed change to all seven Māori electorates is an adjustment to the boundary between Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and Te Tai Tonga in Lower Hutt.
Chair of the Commission Judge Kevin Kelly says the regular review is driven by the need to ensure each electorate has about the same number of people living in it.
The data comes from Stats NZ - from 2023 Census data and Māori electoral data from 1 April 2024. This data informs the number of electorates and the quota, which is how many people will be in each electorate.
Once identified, the Representation Commission finds the boundaries to reflect these numbers and populations must be within 5% of the quota.
Ikaroa-Rāwhiti has slightly shrunk since the last review in 2020, leaving 5.5 per cent under the quota.
To rebalance the population differences between electorates, it’s proposed Ikaroa-Rāwhiti absorb 3,300 from Te Tai Tonga, in the southern half of Hutt City including Boulcott, Epuni, Petone, Moera and eastern bays communities down to Muritai south of Eastbourne.
Proposed changes in general election
Notable changes in Auckland have been driven by significant growth in north in south having to be absorbed into central electorates.
In West Auckland New Lynn, Kelston and Te Atatū have been adjusted into reconfigured new electorates - proposed names are Waitākere, Glendene and Rānui.
The Boundaries of Panmure-Ōtāhuhu in Southeast Auckland have moved south and the electorate is Ōtāhuhu.
Applying a formula in the Electoral Act 1998, the number of North Island general electorates must decrease by one - addressed in the lower North Island where populations of all current electorates are below the target quota.
Three existing electorates have been removed - Ōhāriu, Mana and Ōtaki. And two new electorates are to be created - Kenepuru and Kapiti.
Bay of Plenty and Tauranga electorates and proposed to be reconfigured with Tauranga in the west and Bay of Plenty in the east. Furthermore, Bay of Plenty will be renamed Mt Maunganui to better reflect the change there.
In the South Island, Selwyn is one of the fastest growing electorates in the country and adjustments have been made so that other Christchurch electorates take in more population.
