Electoral Boundary Changes, Invercargill City Gains Western Southland, including Tuatapere

Southern electorates will take on a slightly new look with just announced boundary changes The Electoral Commission has revealed electorate names and boundaries for the next two elections.

The changes covering the southern electorates Dunedin North becomes Dunedin and Dunedin South becomes Taieri. Closer to home the vast Clutha -Southland electorate becomes Southland.

In other changes, Waitaki loses Alexandra and Clyde to Southland (formerly Clutha-Southland) but Southland loses South Otago to Dunedin South.

The Otago Peninsula is moved from Dunedin South to Dunedin North.

As a result of these boundary changes these electorates are renamed Taieri, Dunedin and
Southland.

It was proposed Winton and The Catlins be added to the Invercargill electorate.

The report states Invercargill was below quota and has had to gain population from its only neighbour, Southland.

The Commission’s proposed solution was to add the Winton area, and The Catlins area.

Objections raised by the community of interest grounds have resulted in the Commission retaining the Catlins and Winton area in the renamed Southland electorate, with Invercargill being brought up to the required population figure by expansion into western Southland, including Tuatapere.

The report also states that a number of submitters asked the Commission to consider creating a Central Lakes electorate. It was not possible to accommodate this suggestion as it would have required a significant redraw of neighbouring electorates.

The number of South Island electorates is fixed at 16.

No changes have been made to Christchurch

Representation Commission Chair Judge Craig Thompson said the new names were either proposed by us or “suggested in public submissions to better describe the redrawn electorate areas.

“Where possible, we have maintained existing electorate boundaries and no changes have been made to 36 electorates.

“Now the boundaries and names have been finalised, we’d encourage people to go to vote.nz to check which electorate they are.”