26. 11. 97

STRATEGY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

6 NOVEMBER 1997

A meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee

was held on Monday 6 November 1997 at 9.00 am

PRESENT:	Councillor David Close (Chairman), Councillors Carole Evans, Pat Harrow, Ian Howell, Alister James, Denis O'Rourke and Ron Wright.
APOLOGIES:	Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Councillors Oscar Alpers, Garry Moore and Margaret Murray.
ABSENT:	Councillor Gordon Freeman.

The Committee reports that:

PART C - REPORT ON DELEGATED DECISIONS TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE

1. 1998 ELECTION REVIEW RR 9396

On 22 October 1997 the Council granted the Strategy and Resources Committee delegated power to consider and determine objections lodged to the following resolutions adopted by the Council on Wednesday 27 August 1997, regarding the Council's membership, ward boundaries, and the naming of wards for use in the 1998 Triennial General Election:

Resolution Adopted by the Council on 27 August 1997

As a result of this review the Council has resolved:

(a) That the Council is proposed to be elected by the electors of 12 wards.

(b) That the proposed names of the 12 wards are:

Burwood Pegasus

Fendalton Riccarton

Ferrymead Shirley

Hagley Spreydon

Heathcote Waimairi

Papanui Wigram

(c) That the proposed boundaries of the wards are as shown on the maps submitted to the Council. In the case of the Riccarton, Spreydon and Wigram Wards some minor boundary adjustments are proposed. In the case of the remaining nine wards, it is proposed that the existing boundaries be retained without alteration.

(d) That two members be elected by the electors of each ward.

(e) The reason for the alteration of the proposed ward boundaries in the case of the Riccarton, Spreydon and Wigram Wards from those ward boundaries which applied at the 1995 triennial elections is to ensure that the proposed ward boundaries will coincide with alterations to community boundaries requested by the Spreydon/Heathcote Community Board and the Riccarton/Wigram Community Board.

(f) That there be no change in the number of elected members of Community Boards, and that in each case there continue to be six elected members of each Community Board, with three members being elected by electors of each of the two wards forming the community.

Four objections were received to the foregoing decision. The grounds of each of these objections are summarised below:

OBJECTION BY MR DOUGLAS E PEARSON

Mr Pearson raised issues concerning the size of the Council and the proposed ward structure. Mr Pearson stated that his objection would be met by the abolition of all wards and the election of not less than 15 nor more than 18 members of the Council (excluding the Mayor) by all electors of the district as a whole. Alternatively, Mr Pearson suggested that the present membership and ward structure be altered by:

1. Creating three wards by combining groups of four of the existing wards and the electors of each of those three wards electing preferably five or at the most six members of the Council, giving a total of 15 or 18 members on the Council, or
   
   
2. Creating six wards by combining the groups of two wards in each community area and the electors of each of the six wards electing three members of the Council, or
   
   
3. Creating four wards with boundaries the same as the present Regional Council constituencies within Christchurch City and the electors of each of those wards electing four members of the Council.

OBJECTION BY SPREYDON/HEATHCOTE COMMUNITY BOARD

This objection sought the following boundary changes:

1. That the block of land shown as (a) on the plans lodged with the objections, which is currently in the Hagley ward, be incorporated into the Heathcote ward but that the new boundary of this block be the railway line and not Moorhouse Avenue. This block will thus be bordered by the railway line, Waltham Road, Brougham Street and Antigua Street.
   
   
2. That the areas defined as (c) and (f) on the plans lodged with the objections ie the area bounded by Brougham Street, Wilsons Road, Hastings Street and Waltham Road (area (c)) and Hastings Street, Wilsons Road to the river and then along Waltham Road (area (f)) be transferred from the Hagley ward to the Heathcote ward.
   
   
3. That the block of land shown as (d) on the plans lodged with the objections (bounded by the railway line, Chapmans Road, Port Hills Road and then the ward boundary so as to include Avoca Valley, the hill side of Port Hills Road and Curries Road) be transferred from the Heathcote ward to the Ferrymead ward.
   
   
4. That the block of land shown as (e) on the plans lodged with the objections (Moorhouse Avenue from Deans Avenue to Antigua Street and back along Hazeldean Road and the railway line) be transferred from the Spreydon ward to the Hagley ward.

OBJECTION BY SYDENHAM BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

This objection sought a boundary change between the Hagley and Heathcote wards by the transfer from the Hagley ward to the Heathcote ward of the block of land shown as (a) in the plans lodged with the objections (being the same block of land also referred to as area (a) in the objection lodged by the Spreydon/Heathcote Community Board).

The Association stated that its objection was made on the grounds that the Council had failed to adequately consider the community's interest and community boundaries in reaffirming the status quo in respect of the boundary between the Hagley and Heathcote wards, and that the Association was of the opinion that it is disadvantaged by division of the Sydenham community between the Spreydon/Heathcote community and the Hagley/Ferrymead community at the political level and also at the administrative and service delivery level between the Beckenham and Sockburn Service Centres and the Linwood Service Centre.

OBJECTION BY SHIRLEY RESIDENTS' GROUP (INC)

The Residents' Group requested that the boundaries of the Shirley ward be amended by shifting the eastern boundary of the ward from Marshland Road to Golf Links Road.

Following the hearing of further submissions by the objectors, the Committee resolved to reject the objections, on the following grounds:

(a) OBJECTION BY MR DOUGLAS E PEARSON

In a city the size of Christchurch, the election of members "at large" rather than by wards would cause confusion to electors, who would be required to vote for up to 24 members out of a possible total of 100 or more candidates. Similarly, the Committee formed the view that it was unable to consent to either a reduction in the number of Councillors or a reduction in the number of wards, for the reason that such a reduction would result in an inferior level of representation of the various communities of interest within the city.

(b) OBJECTIONS BY SPREYDON/HEATHCOTE COMMUNITY BOARD AND SYDENHAM BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

In the case of these two objections the boundary changes sought are opposed by the Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board. Section 101ZO(1) of the Local Government Act 1974 provides (inter alia) that the boundaries of a community may be altered by a territorial authority, by resolution, made with the consent of, or at the request of, the Community Board or Community Boards affected, or by a determination of the Local Government Commission where the territorial authority and the Community Board or Community Boards are not in agreement. As the Spreydon/Heathcote Community Board and the Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board are not in agreement in this instance, the Council is unable to approve the boundary alterations sought, although the objectors have the right to lodge an appeal against this decision, for ultimate determination by the Local Government Commission.

(c) OBJECTION BY SHIRLEY RESIDENTS' GROUP

This objection has been prompted by a local dispute regarding the areas covered by residents' groups. This is a matter which can be resolved through further consultation with the Burwood/Pegasus Community Board and the Shirley/Papanui Community Board, rather than by altering the present ward boundaries.

The objectors may lodge written appeals against the Committee's decision to reject their objections. Any such appeals must be lodged not later than 4.00 pm on Thursday 18 December 1997.

Any appeals received will be sent by the Council to the Local Government Commission for consideration and final determination.

The meeting concluded at 11.50 am

 

CONSIDERED THIS 26TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 1997

 

MAYOR

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