Representation review 2024

Council is the voice of local people, representing and balancing a range of interests. In 2024, we consulted on how our Council should be structured to better represent you and your community for the next six years and two local body elections. 

Although we completed a comprehensive representation review in 2021 (with the next one not due until 2027), Council's decision to introduce a Māori ward meant another review was required to make sure the new Māori ward would be in place in time for the 2025 elections.

The Local Government Commission released their final determination on 8 April 2025.

Our new representation arrangements

The Local Government Commission’s final determination on 8 April 2025 upholds the Council’s final representation proposal [PDF 119 KB] confirmed in October 2024. These changes include a new Māori ward covering the entire district, with a new Māori ward councillor to represent it (replacing one districtwide councillor), and adjustments to the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward and the Paekākāriki Community Board boundaries.

For most of us, you'll vote in October 2025 the same way as you did in the last election. There are two key exceptions:

• people living in Emerald Glen and Valley Road communities will now vote in the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward and the Paekākāriki Community Board.
• voters on the Māori roll will vote for the Kapiti Coast Māori Ward councillor instead of districtwide councillors.

Read the full Local Government Commision Determination 2025.

The new arrangements will be in place for the October 2025 local body elections.  

Here's how our new governance structure will look:

Council structure:

• 1 Mayor
• 2 Districtwide Councillors
• 1 Kapiti Coast Māori Ward Councillor
• 1 Ōtaki Ward Councillor
• 2 Waikanae Ward Councillors
• 3 Paraparaumu Ward Councillors
• 1 Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward Councillor

Five community boards:

• Ōtaki Community Board
  • 4 elected community members
  • 1 appointed councillor from the Ōtaki Ward or Kapiti Coast Māori Ward
• Waikanae Community Board
  • 4 elected community members
  • 1 appointed councillor from the Waikanae Ward or Kapiti Coast Māori Ward
    
• Paraparaumu Community Board
  • 4 elected community members
  • 1 appointed councillor from the Paraparaumu Ward or Kapiti Coast Māori Ward 
    
• Raumati Community Board
  • 4 elected community members
  • 1 appointed councillor from the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward or Kapiti Coast Māori Ward  
• Paekākāriki Community Board
  • 4 elected community members
  • 1 appointed councillor from the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward or Kapiti Coast Māori Ward

How we arrived at our final proposal

The final proposal decision followed preliminary engagement 4 March–2 April 2024 and formal consultation 8 August-12 September 2024.

Initial proposal

The initial proposal [PNG 103 KB] (proposed Council structure) included:

• 1 Mayor
• 4 General Wards represented by seven Elected Councillors
• 2 Districtwide Councillors
• 1 Māori Ward Councillor
• 5 Community Boards with four elected members each and a specified number of Ward Councillors appointed to the boards

In total this equated to 10 councillors, 1 mayor and 20 community board members, with 1 districtwide seat replaced at the Council table by the new Māori ward seat.

Boundary changes were also proposed for:

• the Ōtaki and Waikanae ward and community board boundaries at Te Horo moving further south past Te Hapua Road.
• the Paekākāriki-Raumati and Paraparaumu ward boundaries at Emerald Glen and Valley Road moving further east to incorporate these communities into the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward.
• Paekākāriki and Paraparaumu community board boundaries to match the above proposed boundary changes for Emerald Glen and Valley Road.

Council received 442 written and nine oral submissions on its initial proposal. The submissions were analysed and summarised in a report considered by Council on 31 October 2024.

Read the Representation Review 2024 report.

Final Proposal – October 2024

On Thursday 31 October 2024, Council resolved their final proposal for the Council structure for the 2025 local elections.

Having considered all submissions, the Council also made the following amendments in their final proposal: 

• the proposed name of the Māori ward be amended to Kapiti Coast Māori Ward - removing the macron on Kapiti
• to retain the current Ōtaki and Waikanae Ward and Community Board boundaries based on submissions received, particularly from residents in Te Horo directly affected by the proposed changes
• only one councillor appointed to the Paraparaumu Community Board

Council considers the amendments appropriate for the following reasons:

• Mana whenua support the name of the Māori ward if the proposed macron on Kapiti is removed. Council considers it appropriate for mana whenua to gift a name to the ward.
• Analysis of submissions received from residents in Te Horo directly affected by the proposed boundary changes highlighted the majority preferred to retain the status quo rather than move the boundary south to Te Hapua Road.
• Councillors discussed the discrepancy between councillor appointments on community boards and considered that making the appointments more equitable and consistent by only appointing once councillor to each community board is appropriate. This removes the discrepancy between community boards and sees only one councillor of either the Paraparaumu General Ward or Kapiti Coast Māori Ward appointed to the Paraparaumu Community Board instead of two.

Council rejected submissions that disagreed with the Council structure of two at-large (districtwide), seven general ward, and one Māori ward councillor because the majority disagreed with the proposed structure because of the Māori ward establishment.

On 31 October 2024, Council resolved their final representation proposal for the Council structure for the 2025 local elections. An appeal and objection process ran until 6 December 2024. Two objections and one appeal were received on Council’s final representation proposal. These were forwarded to the Local Government Commission which made its final determination on 8 April 2025, upholding Council’s final representation proposal.

Māori Ward poll

Council affirmed its decision to establish a Māori ward on 6 August 2024. The Māori ward will be in place for the 2025 local body elections and Council will hold a poll to determine the future of the ward at the elections in line with the provisions of the amended Local Electoral Act 2001.

Further Information

See Meetings and Agendas for copies of the full proposal, including Council’s resolution, consultation document and maps setting out the areas of the wards or by asking a member of our library or service centre teams:

• Civic Administration Building, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu
• Paraparaumu Library, Iver Trask Place, Paraparaumu
• Waikanae Library and Waikanae Service Centre, Mahara Place, Waikanae
• Ōtaki Library and Service Centre, Main Street, Ōtaki
• Paekākāriki Library, 14 Wellington Road, Paekākāriki (Mondays and Wednesdays 1:30pm to 4:30pm, and Saturdays 10:00am to 2:00pm)

Any queries regarding the Council’s proposal should be directed to [email protected].