Wellington is set to lose one of its electorates in the next election, following changes proposed by the Representation Commission.
Three current electorates—Ōhāriu, Mana, and Ōtaki—will be removed, while two new ones, called Kenepuru and Kapiti, will be created.
This means big changes for local Members of Parliament. Labour MPs Greg O’Connor(Ōhāriu), Barbara Edmonds (Mana), and National MP Tim Costley (Ōtaki) may need to find new electorates to stand in.
These changes happen after each census to keep the number of people in each electorate as equal as possible. Judge Kevin Kelly, who leads the commission, said the population in many lower North Island electorates has dropped, so the map needed to be adjusted.
More than 730,000 people across the North Island could be affected. In contrast, the South Island will keep the same number of electorates—16—because that number is fixed by law.
In West Auckland, three electorates may get new names: New Lynn, Kelston, and Te Atatū could become Waitākere, Glendene, and Rānui. Some electorates in Auckland and Tauranga will also change shape or names. For example, Bay of Plenty might be renamed Mt Maunganui.
