What is a Representation review?

A representation review looks at the balance of Councillors representing an area with regard to population and geographical areas.

The Local Electoral Act 2001 requires councils to undertake a representation review every six years.

For a regional council, the review must cover:

  • The number of electoral areas – constituencies (local councils use wards)
  • The boundaries of those constituencies and their names
  • The number of Councillors to represent them.

To ensure effective and fair representation, there are four things we must consider:

  • The number of people represented within each constituency area (population)
  • The alignment of communities of interest within each constituency
  • The alignment of constituencies to local council boundaries or wards
  • How many elected Councillors should represent each constituency (each Councillor should represent roughly the same population +/- 10 per cent).