Booming Selwyn district could get standalone ECan seats

Thursday, 25 July 2024

Environment Canterbury is proposing Selwyn District Council has its own constituency as its population booms.

Selwyn’s exploding population could see it get two seats of its own at Environment Canterbury’s table.

The district usually partners with Ashburton in one constituency but its population has doubled to more than 80,000 people in the last decade. An ECan representation review released on Wednesday proposed several options but favoured two. The first was to give Selwyn two standalone seats, to be called Waikirikiri Selwyn.

Under this proposal, Ashburton would join a new Ōtuhituhi Mid-South Canterbury constituency with Timaru, Mackenzie, Waimate and part of Waitaki districts.

The new constituencies could see Ashburton join Timaru in Ōtuhituhi Mid-South Canterbury.

The other option was for minor adjustments to boundary lines.

Selwyn District Council supported the new seats option. The South Canterbury councils preferred the minor changes option. Ashburton District Council rejected both.

Selwyn District Council a considering a major restructure of its boundaries.

It suggested three other options it said would ensure its representation wasn’t harmed, unlike ECan’s propsals. Ashburton’s communities were also more closely aligned with greater Christchurch, it said.

A decision will be made in October following public consultation.

Malvern Ward is the largest geographical ward in the Selwyn District.

Selwyn District Council is also reviewing its own representation, which could see its only community board ‒ Malvern ‒ cutcut.

Malvern Community Board members, from left: Sharn Nu'u, Sean Ellis, Ken May, Bruce Russell, Calvin Payne in 2022. (File photo)

The council’s Malvern and Ellesmere wards each have two councillors, Lydia Gliddon and Bob Mugford, and Elizabeth Mundt and Shane Epiha respectively. The review proposed one councillor for each, with one township in each ward jumping a boundary. Burnham (currently in the Malvern ward) would become part of Rolleston ward and West Melton (Ellesmere) would go to Springs ward. The shift would see elected members represent about 10,000 people each.

Malvern ward covers 5000km². Malvern community board member Calvin Payne told the council on Wednesday one person could not adequately service all of its 14 communities. Two could barely do the job, he said, so the community board was vital to assist with the load.

The idea to ditch the community board was based on new technology brought in since Covid-19 that allowed councillors to better communicate with the public.

Payne said rural communities relied on traditional methods of connection such as attending meetings and events. That would be difficult for a single councillor covering a vast area.

The review also proposed that each of the wards should have reo Māori names: Tawera Malvern, Kā Mānia Rolleston, Te Waihora Ellesmere and Ngā Puna Springs wards. That proposal was adopted by the council in a vote, 6-5. Consultation on the representation review, ward names and the disestablishment of the Malvern Community Board was expected to run from August 9 to September 10.