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Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

N47-001

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Max Shierlaw

Te Awaikairangi is a name used for the entire Hutt Valley and is not specific to Lower Hutt. For example Awaikairangi Park is in Upper Hutt which is the present Rimutaka electorate. If the electorate name is to be changed to a Maori name then the local Iwi and Rununga should be proposing the change. The electorate's name should not be changed on the basis of a single objection to a Representation Review.

Counter-Objection

Relates to objections

N48-001

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Mr John Plunkett

I have lived in the Electorate for the majority of my life and the local people are aware of the boundaries and how they fit in the local region.
The boundaries are within the population tolerance and should not change.
The election is in less than nine months potentially and making a change like this could disenfranchise local voters which is not necessary.
The Wilton suburb is firmly in the Wellington Central Electorate and the current boundary is sufficient to provide separation between Wilton and Wadestown.

Objection

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Mr Chris Geddes

Here goes a spanner in the works! The West Coast-Tasman electorate is the second largest in the country by area, and the largest in distance (from one end to the other.)
It is also fragmented - the southern alps slices the electorate in two. There is absolutely no commonality of interest between the West Coast and the Tasman District. Coasters travel to Christchurch and its environs more frequently for business and supplies than they do to Tasman. The West Coast mail and courier services are all serviced from Christchurch, the trains connect the West Coast to Christchurch, our fuel comes from Christchurch as does the majority of our foodstuff supplies. Hokitika Airport connects to Christchurch. In short, notwithstanding that the West Coast is still separated from Canterbury by the southern alps, that is the area with which we have a commonality of interest. Medical evacuations from the Coast invariably cross to Christchurch - although Nelson has excellent local infrastructure it is considered just too remote to be of much interest or service to Coasters.
The Coast is poorly represented as a result of this historic anomaly. Our local MP lives in the northern end of the electorate at present, and seldom visits the coast. I do not blame him for ignoring the Coast, it is just too bloody difficult for him to get here. To visit the coast he may be lucky enough to get the early bird from Nelson to Christchurch, then another flight to Hokitika. But if he misses the early bird, then he must travel to Wellington first, then Christchurch before crossing to Hokitika, and then having to find his way north to the Greymouth RSA where he holds constituent clinics. The poor bugger arrives in Grey right on lunchtime, so unless he has packed a picnic lunch he does not begin to see constituents until 1:30-ish - then has to be back in Hokitika to get the last bird out at 5:30. Constituents are frustrated at the tyranny of distance - there would not be many locations in New Zealand where your local MP's office may be 500km's away through some of the most unforgiving terrain that our country has to offer.
Only yesterday I was talking to our local tyre merchant, he had just done a day trip to Christchurch to collect some stock, and when I asked him whether he considered purchasing stock from Nelson he replied that he was "not that brave or stupid."

Objection

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Mr Philip de Weck

Brightwater is essentially a dormitory township for Richmond and Nelson. Their interests, from a political view point, are those of the Nelson electorate. To remove them from this and arbitrarily place them in the West Coast electorate is a grave invasion of their democratic rights and a denial of their ability to be involved in local matters that may materially affect them. It is for these reasons that I strongly object to the proposal.

Objection

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Mrs Marissa Kerwin-Boulton

Don’t want to be changed to west coast electric - why vote for an electric area based three hours away?! when should be voting for Nelson where I actually spend my time & live my life!!!