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Objection

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Ms Linda Jordan

I live in Wattle Downs, a southern subdivision of Manurewa. We are currently part of Papakura electorate, which in itself is strange but this new idea is even stranger. Why take us out of our local area and put us with homes that are in a suburb that far away!

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Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

N24-001

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Daniel Newman

I am an Auckland Councillor representing the Manurewa-Papakura Ward. My Ward covers the majority of the existing Manurewa and Papakura electorate, and is potentially going to cover the majority of the Flat Bush electorate depending on the outcome of the current Representation Review.
I wish to make the following counter-objection to objection N24-001 by the New Zealand Labour Party (“Labour Party”), which should be read alongside my objection to the Representation Commission.
WEYMOUTH
The Labour Party’s objection to the proposed Manurewa/Flat Bush boundary is based in erroneous statements and assumptions.
Contrary to the Labour Party’s objection, Weymouth has a long history as an established community within the wider Manurewa suburban area. In 1857 the district was surveyed into small holdings and town lots.
Weymouth is both intrinsically and practically linked to Manurewa, for example:
1. public transport routes link both Weymouth and Clendon to Manurewa;
2. Weymouth school children predominantly attend primary schools in Weymouth and Clendon before graduating to James Cook High School in Manurewa;
3. evidence from the Weymouth Residents and Ratepayers’ Association in response to Oranga Tamariki’s application to change to designation of Whakatapokai to accommodate Youth Justice young people point out that the communities of interest codified for a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) include both Clendon and Manurewa West as well as the Weymouth Peninsula.
The Labour Party’s objection recommends the inclusion of the Weymouth Peninsula into the Flat Bush electorate. As Weymouth is a community on a peninsula, the Labour Party’s recommendation would in effect require the Commission to establish an electorate based on communities living in semi-isolation connected by one road (Mahia Road) while ignoring established communities of interest. At no stage in its post-war history has Weymouth existed in a parliamentary electorate separate from Manurewa.
WATTLE DOWNS
Unlike Weymouth, the Wattle Downs Peninsula has remained relatively separate from Manurewa. Over the years, Wattle Downs has existed in various parliamentary electorates, and has been within the Papakura electorate boundary over the past four general elections. The Commission is correct to identify the Wattle Downs Peninsula comprising both Wattle Downs and Mahia Park as communities of interest distinct from the Weymouth Peninsula (which is separated by the Waimahia Inlet).
Wattle Downs has a community of interest that aligns with both Takanini and Manurewa South (as opposed to Weymouth, which aligns with Clendon and Manurewa West). Recent plan change applications, traffic and road planning, and greenways planning reflects greater integration between Wattle Downs and Waiata Shores in Conifer Grove.
GREENMEADOWS AND MANUREWA SOUTH
Both the Greenmeadows and Manurewa South are established residential neighbourhoods; but neither exist in splendid isolation. There are no topographical features or infrastructure links that separate either neighbourhood from other neighbourhoods within the proposed Flat Bush parliamentary electorate. By way of example:
1. active transport infrastructure to accommodate walking and cycling is being established to link Greenmeadows and Waiata Shores in Conifer Grove;
2. a plan change has been adopted by Auckland Council to enable the establishment of a new local shopping centre at Te Napi Drive to provide shopping options specifically to meet the consumer needs of residents in Manurewa South, Greenmeadows, Wattle Downs and Conifer Grove; and
3. Greenmeadows and Manurewa South residents have a long history of shared representation with neighbourhoods in Takanini and Papakura as well as Manurewa. Indeed, the local government ward boundary includes both Greenmeadows and Manurewa South in the Manurewa-Papakura Ward alongside other proposed Flat Bush neighbourhoods such as Wattle Downs, Conifer Grove, Takanini, Randwick Park, The Gardens and Totara Park (the ward boundaries have applied over the past four local government elections).
I consider that the Representation Commission must weigh a communities of interest argument against the prevailing need to ensure one vote-one value, and create electorates that have equal representation. To this extent, I continue to support the proposed Flat Bush electorate boundary and oppose the changes recommended by the Labour Party.
DAWSON ROAD
The Botany electorate has existed since a Representation Review in 2007, and was first contested in 2008. That electorate was established to accommodate rapid residential development in the early 2000s.
The area south of Dawson Road proposed by the Labour Party for inclusion in the Flat Bush electorate does not exist in splendid isolation vis-à-vis other communities within the Botany electorate. Nor does the inclusion of an existing community within its existing electorate invite “… questions at best and mistrust of our processes at worst”. I submit that this is one example where the changes recommended by the Labour Party would practically separate that community from important communities of interest, and for an outcome that is unnecessary in terms of equal representation and existing electorate boundaries.
MURPHY’S BUSH RESERVE AND ORIMISTON
The inclusion of Murphy’s Bush Reserve and Orimiston into the Botany electorate as recommended by the Labour Party is unnecessary in terms of equal representation and existing electorate boundaries.
The Botany electorate does not need to increase to comply with the quota for a North Island electorate. The communities around Murphy’s Bush and Ormiston are part of a new community that will continue to grow over the next decade (and this is already projected by the Representation Commission). At present, this area of Auckland is broadly divided by the electorate boundary dividing the existing Hunua and Papakura electorates.
I submit that a better approach would be to amalgamate those areas of Flat Bush within the existing Hunua electorate with the communities of Redoubt within the existing Papakura electorate, and combine them within the proposed Flat Bush electorate as proposed by the Representation Commission in its proposed boundary.
Inevitably, parliamentary electorate boundaries will need to be reviewed again following the next Census. However, the scale and timing of growth within an area of Auckland that is still to be developed makes further changes unnecessary and premature at this time.
GENERAL COMMENTS
In my objection (N24-005) I objected to the name of the Flat Bush electorate. I recommended changing the name of the electorate to “Flat Bush-Takaanini” to better reflect a sense of place.
I share the concerns of other submitters who have raised objections about the name of the Flat Bush electorate and will speak to this matter before the Commission when it convenes hearings. I believe the Representation Commission got the boundaries right in its initial proposal. However, the name of the Flat Bush electorate requires further consideration noting balance of population and local history that defines its geographic place within outer suburban South Auckland.

Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

N24-006, N24-009, N24-010

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Jan Robinson

I object to the suggestion names offered by N24-006, N24-009 and N24-010 for the Flatbush electorate.
Manukau South is vague and is not relevant to much of the area. Totara Park does not reflect the huge urban area of Flatbush.
Much of the current Flatbush area will not be in the proposed electorate therefore the name is not appropriate.

Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

N24-012

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Mr Geoff Hall

I can see why people object to the name 'Flat Bush' The electorate covers such a vast area, all with claims to a local name. However there can only be one name and it has to reflect a general Icon for the area. Totara or Totara Park are the only names that could be embraced by the many 'local' areas included in this change. The name Totara Park, could suggest a more acceptable name that could be adopted by many cultures. I'm sure the committee working on this project are doing their best to provide the best options for all. Hopefully they will take some indications from the majority of acceptances and/or objections.

Objection

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Bryce Collin

I couldn’t find the electorate my objection was in because it’s called Hunua not Port Waikato. While port Waikato is a cool place it does not represent the electorate as a whole which stretches from one coast to the other. Franklin would have been a much much better name choice as it refers to the entire area. Please don’t name it Port Waikato, name it Franklin - Ka Pai