Proposal to disestablish community boards
Submissions have closed – oral submissions have been made, the council decides on Tuesday 10 September. Updates will be posted here.
The Hutt City Council’s independent representation review recommends that community boards, including the Eastbourne Community Board, be disestablished.
The Eastbourne Community Board believes that community boards provide an invaluable service to residents.
The report argues that representation is inequitable with only three community boards in Hutt City, in Eastbourne, Petone and Wainuiomata. We believe that introducing a community board to each ward would be a better way to address this inequality. (This would see the Eastbourne and Petone Community Boards combine for Harbour Ward).
The report also argues that community boards, established in 1989, are no longer relevant in the twenty-first century. The Eastbourne Community Board believes that in this digital age, face-to-face access to elected representatives who are neighbours in our communities has never been more important.
Council is consulting on the proposal until 1 August and we encourage Eastbourne residents to share their views.
Thank you for those who made a submission to Council about the representation review.
379 submissions were received from Hutt City’s 114,000 residents, of which 204 or 54% were from Eastbourne and Eastern Bays’ 5,000 residents.
The public hearing was be held on 26 August, with Council considering the final representation proposal on 10 September 2024.
Oral submissions can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/
Submissions made in response that have been shared with us:
- York Bay Residents’ Association Submission on the Hutt City Council
Representation Review – Disestablishing Community Boards (pdf) - Comments on Independent review of HCC community boards – Jeremy Winter (pdf)
- HCC Representation Submission by Brett Gawn (pdf)
- Copy of submission on the Community Boards – C Orchiston (pdf)
- SUBMISSION ON HUTT CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIONAL REVIEW – ROSS JAMIESON (pdf)
- Submission on Initial Representation Review Recommendations – Derek Wilshere (MSWord)
- 2024 Representation Review Power Point Derek Wilshere (pptx)
We will be posting analysis and details of the activities the community board has been involved in and often lead, and why we think the community board structure is the best option for all wards. We will post updates as these are added.
If you want to ask questions or raise issues feel free to contact any of the board members.
If you haven’t attended a Board meeting, here’s the agenda, but also the Chairs Report on formal board activities for the past period (does not include all the informal activities, meetings and interactions).
If you want to stay informed we will also be sending out news updates – you can sign up here, just sign up to Community Board News
If you want to keep your community board then you need to tell HCC – submit your views via the link above, and you can also speak to council in person (you are not obliged to speak even if you say you want to make an oral submission).