Southern boundaries

Press, 8 November 1986, Page 3

Southern boundaries

The population drain from the southern half of the South Island, apart from the Lakes area, has forced significant boundary changes.

Clutha electorate has had to be extended north from Roxburgh to include Alexandra and Clyde to reach Cromwell. Wallace has extended east into Clutha and Awarua north into Clutha. The three Dunedin seats have been left largely intact, although St Kilda has extended into Dunedin West. Port Chalmers and Waikouaiti have been left in the Otago electorate. Having lost so much to

the south to Clutha, Otago has been extended north to take in virtually everything south of the Waitaki River except a coastal strip running to Oamaru.

Oamaru is now on the south edge of the Waitaki electorate which has been swung round the back of Timaru to take in Fairlie and run to the coast south of the Orari River, taking in Temuka, Winchester, Geraldine, and Orari. This should make Waitaki safer for Labour. Timaru has been reduced slightly in area, but still takes in a lot of surrounding farmland. The Ashburton electorate has been renamed South

Canterbury, and runs from the Orari River to the Selwyn River, including Ashburton.

The West Coast electorate has been extended north-east to include Murchison and part of Waimea County, and covers a bigger , area than ever.

Both the Tasman and Marlborough electorates have shrunk, Marlborough losing Kaikoura and the Kaikoura coast but moving west to take over Rai Valley and the rest of Marlborough County from Tasman.

Tasman is a growth area and lias lost areas tb both the West Coast and Marlborough electorates.