ELECTORAL CHANGES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 199, 23 July 1937, Page 9

ELECTORAL CHANGES

NEW BOUNDARIES DEFINED. OROUA TO BE ABSORBED. WELLINGTON, July 22. Provisional electoral boundaries determined by the • Representation Commissions appointed to adjust boundaries in accordance with the distribution of population revealed by the census taken last year were announced tonight by the Minister in Charge of the Electoral Department (Hon. H. G. R. Mason). The time for lodging objections to these proposed boundaries has not yet been specified, but it will be notified in the Gazette in due course. It is expected that the time given will be until the end of August.

Maps have also been prepared giving the provisional boundaries. These show that the South Island loses one seat (Chalmers) to the North Island. Oroua electorate is absorbed partly by Rangitikei and partly by Manawatu, and it is proposed that new electorates be formed on the outskirts of Wellington and Auckland. It is proposed that the new Wellington electorate be known as Wellington Suburbs, and that it comprise in the main territory taken from the Hutt and Otaki electorates, and that the name of the existing Wellington Suburbs electorate be changed to Wellington. West. The provisional boundaries involve the loss of Hataitai and Roscneath to Wellington East and their inclusion in Wellington Central. Practically no changes are proposed in 'Wellington South, and a small addition has been made to Wellington North by the inclusion of part of the southern area of Wadestown. PROVISIONAL FINDINGS. Mr Mason said that the Boundary Commissioners appointed to adjust electoral boundaries in accordance with changes of population as a result of the census had now presented their provisional findings as to new boundaries. The Minister especially emphasised the fact that section II of the Electoral Act required that when commissions proposed to alter the boundaries of an existing electoral district, due notice of the proposed boundary or approximate boundaries shall be published in the Gazette, and objections in writing to such proposed boundaries may be lodged with the commission proposing to make the alteration. The commission concerned was bound to consider any objections so lodged before coming to a final determination.

It should be understood that the boundaries mentioned in the statement were provisional boundaries, and that it was open to anyone to make representations in writing to the commission urging any modification. The final decision would then be made. In accordance with the Statute, said the Minister, the commissions had sat jointly to determine how many Parliamentary seats should be alloted to each island. The result was that the South Island would now have one seat less than previously, and the North Island one seat more. Ihe seat lost to the South Island was Chalmers, for which Mr A. Campbell, M.P., was the sitting member. “WELLINTON SUBURBS.”

The change in the North Island could not be described in such simple terms. Owing to the changes in the relative density of poulation in various districts of the North Island a new electorate was proposed at Otahuhu, a few miles south of Auckland City, and a new electorate also round the outskirts of the Hutt Valley. It was proposed that the latter electorate should include the territory to the east of Wellington harbour irom the neighbourhood of Baring Head lighthouse to the head of the Hutt Valley, ns well as the territory to the west of the main railway line in the Hutt Valley and extending southward to include Porirua and the intervening area in the neighbourhood of Ngaio. This new electorate was to be called Wellington Suburbs, although it included hardly any of the territory formerly in Wellington Suburbs and was composed almost entirely of territory taken from the former Hutt and Otaki electorates. The old Wellington Suburbs electorate it was proposed to call Wellington West.

ELIMINATION OF OROUA. “Two new electorates in the North Island are thus provided,” said Mr Mason, “but the net gain is only one, for it is proposed to eliminate the Oroua electorate, for which the sitting member is the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, M.P., and merge portion of it in the Rangitikei electorate and portion in the Manawatu electorate.”

A brief (Jeseription of the more important changes proposed by the commissions in the boundaries of other electorates is given below: The changes in the Wellington City electorates are as follows: Wellington East loses Hataitai and Roseneath, which now come into Wellington Central, the western boundary of which is now- Tory Street, Buckle Street, Webb Street and Aro Street. Wellington South has practically no change. Wellington North gams up to Salamanca Road and Kelburn Parade and a small area of the southern end of Wadestown. Wellington Suburbs, now called Wellington West, takes in Makara and Ohariu, losing Wadestown, Ngaio and Khandallah. Wellington Suburbs, a new- district in fact, if not in name, takes in Wadcstowii Ngaio. Khandallah, Jobnsnnville, Tawa Flat, Koro Koro, Belmont, Mellintr Taita, and part of Lower Hutt north of the V.1.C., Day’s Bay, Eastbourne and Wainui-o-mata. The Hutt electorate, which is now much smaller, comprises the whole of the boroughs of Lower Hutt and Petone cast of the railway lino and south of the V.I.C.

AUCKLAND CITY SEATS. The greatest change in Auckland city seats is tlmt of Auckland East, winch now includes the Borough of Bevonport. Grey Lynn practically remains the same, Auckland West and Central gaming toward the cast, the latter skirting the domain. Suburbs loses the Borough of Birkenhead; Eden and Roskill suiter slight alterations only. Parnell is renamed Remuera, and loses a small part south of Mt. St. John; Onelmnga includes the Borough pf Onehunga and the greatest parts of One Tree Hill Borough and Ellerslic Town District. This formerly comprised the greater part of the Manukau electorate this name having been lost. Otahuim, a new seat, lies to the west of the Main South Road south of Ellerslie Town District, a portion of which is included, and extends south to the Wairoa River. The Borough of Otahuhu and the town districts of Papatoetoe and Howick are included. The Bay of Islands loses Hikurangi and the surrounding district to Marsden, -this latter district losing on the

south Warkworth and Waiwera to Kaipara, which in turn loses Helensville. Waitemata includes the boroughs of Birkenhead, Nortlicote and Taltapuna, and extends northward to include Silverdale and Helensville, the southern boundary at Kumeu remaining unaltered.

Franklin remains as at present, this and Eginont being the only- districts in the North Island to do so. Ilauraki now extends from the Wairoa River on the north to the HamiltonTe Arolm railway line, and follows the Wailiou River to the sea, the western boundary remaining practically unaltered. Thames includes the counties of Great Barrier, Coromandel, Thames, and Oliinemuri, including the interior boroughs as well as Te A roll a.- Tauranga extends to the Rangitaiki River and now includes Matamata Borough and the immediately surrounding district. WAIKATO AND ROTORUA. Rotorua is very little altered, the principal amendment being the exclusion of Matamata from Hinuera northward. Hamilton loses parts of Rototuna and Rukuhia. Waikato extends from the Hamilton-Te Aroha railway to the Puniu River, including Te Awamutu. Pirongia and Paterangi, which have been excluded from Raglan. Waitomo, with the exception of the exclusion of Te Awamutu, remains practically unaltered. Waimarino extends southward to include the borough of Taihape. Stratford is unaltered except for the inclusion of Lepperton, which is excluded from New Plymouth, otherwise unaltered. Pntea remains practically unaltered. Wanganui now includes the northern portion of Eastown.

RANGITIKEI AND MANAWATU. The southern boundary of Rangitikei follotvs the Rangitikei River to Halcombe and then follow’s the Oroua River to its source. The southern portion of Muiiawatu follows the Manawatu River lrom Foxtail (which is nowin Otaki) to near' Tokomaru, and cuts across to the Tararua Range. Palmerston comprises the whole of the borough of Palmerston North only. Otaki extends southward to Porirua only, this being included.

Wairarapa now includes Heretaunga and loses to Masterton the area northwest of Carterton. Masterton also gains an area south of Pahiatua. Pahiatua extends to include Takapau.

Waipawa now skirts the borough of Hastings, the Hastings-Okawn Road being part of the northern boundary. Napier now takes in Bay View. The northern boundary of Hawke’s Bay follows the Waikaremoana Boad, the borough of Wairoa also being included in that electorate. The Gisborne district includes the whole of the Cook County west of the Waipaoa River. The Bay of Plenty extends from Gisborne to the Rangitaiki River.

Christchurch North, Christchurch East, Christchurch South and Avon have minor adjustments only.

DUNEDIN DIVISIONS

Consequent on the loss of the Chalmers seat, the Dunedin seats have radical alterations. Dunedin Central now- includes the wdiole of the peninsula. part of the St. Ivilda borough to the east of Prince Albert Road, and loses to Dunedin West a considerable portion north of the Oval, Manor Place and High Street. The northern and western boundaries of Dunedin West are practically unaltered. Dunedin North now includes the borough of Port Chalmers and NorthEast Valley. Dunedin South includes part of the borough of St, Kilda, Green Island borough. Mosgiel borough. and extends to the Taieri River at Allanton and the portion east of the Main South Road as far as Otokin. The only alterations in Westland are the inclusion of the portion of Greymouth borough lying to the north of the river and the exclusion of the whole of the Waiouna, Nelson Creek, and Red Jack ridings, all of the Grey county. BULI.ER DISTRICT.

The B idler district has been extended on the north ,and now takes in the whole of the Karamea riding of the Buller county, and on the south by the inclusion of the whole of Waipuna, Nelson Creek, and Red Jack ridings, all of the Grey county. The district also gains the whole of Boatman’s rfding, Inangahua county. Parts of Antonio’s and Crushington ridings of the Inangahua county have been excluded, also that portion of the Greymouth borough now included in the Westland electorate.

The southern portion of Motueka lias been altered to include part of Antonio’s riding and part of Crushington riding, both of the Inangahua county, but now excludes the whole of Boatman’s riding of the Inangahua county. Excluded from the northern portion of the electorate are the whole of the Karamea riding and portion of the Mokfhinui riding, both of the Buller county, and parts of the Appleby, Wai-Iti, and Motupiko ridings, all of the W’aimea county.

Nelson now includes those portions of the Appleby, W 7 ai-iti and Motupiko ridings, all of the Waiinea county, that are now excluded from the Motueka electoral district. The northeastern boundary of the electorate now follows the Nelson-Marlborough provincial boundary. The north-western boundary of W’airau now follows the Nelson-Marlbor-ough provincial boundary. The south-western boundary remains unaltered. IN CANTERBURY. Hum mi i is unaltered. Kaiapoi lias been extended to include a small portion of Springs County. Riccarton loses part of Fendalton to Christchurch North, and the small portion of Springs County now in Kaiapoi, and also loses the Kinloch Riding of Walrewa County, now included in Lyttelton.' Mid-Canterbury is unchanged. The only alteration to Temuka is tlie inclusion of Seadown south of the Opihi River, which is excluded from Tirnaru, otherwise unaltered. Waitaki has been extended to take in Pukeuri Junction, Windsor and Ngapara. taken from the Oa-maru electorate, which in turn extended down to Mihiwaka, near Dunedin. Central Otago loses Milford Sound, Glenorcliy, Queenstown and Kingston to Wallace, and Lawrence, Evans Flat and Blue Spur to Clutlia, receiving Outram, Ma.ungatua, Berwick and Henley, formerly part of the old Chalmers seat. Clutha. besides receiving Lawrence, Evans Flat and Blue Spur, also includes Waipori, the western boundary remaining unaltered. Mataura receives a small area south of Mnndeville, and is extended on the west to include Waituna.

The boroughs yf Invercargill and .South Invercargill practically comprise the Invercargill electorate. yVwarua now extends to include Riverton and Thornbury, and loses Waituna to Mataura.

Wallace includes Milford Sound, Glenorcliy. Queenstown and Kingston, taken from Central Otago, and loses a small area south of Mandeville and Riverton.

'l’lu' population of New Zealand other than Maoris at the time of the last census was 1,491,484. Of this number 938,939 people were in the North Island and the remaining 552,545 in the South Island.