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Local Electoral Act 2001

Representation arrangements for elections of territorial authorities, regional councils, local boards, and community boards

19M: Public notice of proposals and responsibilities in relation to submissions

You could also call this:

"Telling You About Changes to Local Councils"

Illustration for Local Electoral Act 2001

When a territorial authority or regional council makes a decision about representation arrangements, you must be told about it. They must give public notice of their proposals within 14 days of making the decision. The notice must include how you can see the full proposals. The public notice must also say which communities of interest the authority or council considered, and the ratio of population to proposed members for each area. It must give reasons for these proposals and say how you can make a submission. You have at least one month to make a submission. If you make a submission, the authority or council must send you a written notice to say they got it. They must also give you a chance to speak about your submission if you want to. Most meetings where submissions are heard or discussed are open to the public, and all written submissions are available to the public, as per the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM93487.

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19L: Distribution of copies of resolution, or

"Sending copies of important council decisions to key people"

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19N: Response to submissions, or

"What happens to your feedback on election area plans?"

Part 1ARepresentation arrangements for elections of territorial authorities, regional councils, local boards, and community boards

19MPublic notice of proposals and responsibilities in relation to submissions

  1. A territorial authority or regional council that makes a resolution under section 19H, 19I, 19J, or 19JAA must, within 14 days after making the resolution (but, in the year immediately before the year of a triennial general election, not later than 8 August), give public notice of the proposals contained in the resolution.

  2. The public notice must—

  3. include a statement about how persons interested in the proposals may inspect the full proposals; and
    1. specify the communities of interest considered by the territorial authority or regional council as required by section 19T and section 19V or, as the case may require, section 19U and section 19V; and
      1. specify the ratio of population to proposed members for each proposed ward (if any) or constituency or subdivision (if any), and the reasons for those proposals in terms of section 19V(2) and, if applicable, section 19V(3); and
        1. specify a period of not less than 1 month from the date of the first or only publication of the notice within which persons interested in the resolution may make submissions on the resolution to the territorial authority or regional council.

          1. A territorial authority or regional council to whom subsection (1) applies must—

          2. ensure that any person who makes a submission on the proposal within the period referred to in subsection (2)(d)—
            1. is sent a written notice acknowledging receipt of that person's submission; and
              1. is given a reasonable opportunity to be heard by the territorial authority or regional council (if that person so requests); and
              2. ensure that the notice given to a person under paragraph (a) contains information—
                1. advising that person of that person's opportunity to be heard; and
                  1. explaining how that person may exercise that person's opportunity to be heard; and
                  2. ensure that, except as otherwise provided by Part 7 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, every meeting at which submissions on a resolution referred to in subsection (1) are heard or at which the territorial authority or regional council deliberates on the proposal is open to the public; and
                    1. subject to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, make all written submissions on a resolution of that kind available to the public.

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                      Notes
                      • Section 19M: inserted, on , by section 6 of the Local Electoral Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 85).
                      • Section 19M(1): amended, on , by section 14(a) of the Local Government Electoral Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 57).
                      • Section 19M(1): amended, on , by section 14(b) of the Local Government Electoral Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 57).