Marton voters won?t be forced to vote in Taihape elections | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Residents of Toia and Morris streets, in Marton, won't be forced to vote for candidates in the Taihape ward in next year's Rangitikei District council elections.

That somewhat surprising (and illogical) possibility popped up yesterday in a map, produced by the council, to illustrate the proposed redrawing of the electoral ward boundaries.

Instead of being where they've always been, in Marton, Toia and Morris streets suddenly appeared on southern edge of the Taihape ward, about 100km from "home".

Rangitikei Mayor Bob Buchanan described the transportation of the two streets as "a genuine technical slip" which would certainly be corrected on subsequent copies of the map.

However, while people would poke fun at the council because of the "slip" Mr Buchanan is expecting more serious criticism of, and objections to, the council's draft representation proposal.

"But that's why we have put it out there (into the public arena) for discussion and for people to make submissions," he said.

"We want to hear from people and if they have any better ideas we will certainly listen."

The council's "preferred option" still has the Rangitikei divided in four electoral wards but with different boundaries to those which have existed since 1989.

The most significant change is the creation of a new "central" ward which takes in all of the old Hunterville ward, part of the southern sector of the old Taihape ward and a chunk of the old Bulls ward, including Turakina, but not Ratana.

Each of the new wards will have two elected councillors except Marton which will, because of its population, have three councillors. In that scenario the district council will reduce from 11 councillors and the mayor to nine ward councillors, plus the Mayor elected at large.

The reconfiguring of representation in Rangitikei is the result of Government legislation that demands that electoral boundaries are based solely on population with a variation of just 10 percent between each ward.

"This is not something we want to do. After all a turkey doesn't vote for an early Christmas. But we have to do it ? no ifs or buts. And if we get it wrong Central Government will come in with its view of the world and we'll get stuck with that," Mr Buchanan said.

He said his councillors had argued long and hard about where the boundaries should be drawn and were comfortable with the proposal now out for submissions.

"We believe it is the best solution but it might not be the final solution so we do want to hear what the people think," he said.

The proposal is open for submissions until April 6.