Palmerston North City Council | |
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Type | |
Type | |
Term limits | None |
History | |
Founded | 1930 |
Preceded by | Palmerston North Borough Council |
Leadership | |
Deputy mayor | Debi Marshall-Lobb |
Chief executive | Waid Crockett |
Structure | |
Seats | 16 [lower-alpha 1] |
Political groups |
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Length of term | 3 years |
Elections | |
STV | |
Last election | 8 October 2022 |
Next election | 11 October 2025 |
Motto | |
Palmam qui meruit ferat ("Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm") | |
Meeting place | |
32 The Square, Palmerston North | |
Website | |
www | |
Footnotes | |
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The Palmerston North City Council is the territorial authority for the city of Palmerston North in New Zealand.
The council is made up of a mayor elected at-large and 15 councillors, with 13 elected from a city-wide general ward (Te Hirawanui Ward) and 2 from a city-wide Māori ward (Te Pūao Ward). They are elected using a single transferable voting system in triennial elections, [1] with the most recent elections having been held in 2022.
The current mayor is Grant Smith.
Local Government in Palmerston North began with the formation of a town board and a local board within Wellington Province in 1876,. [2] When the provinces were dissolved in 1876, Palmerston North became part of the newly established Manawatū County.
An independent borough council for Palmerston North was proclaimed on 12 July 1877, splitting from Manawatū County. [3] The first borough council consisted of nine councillors, and George Matthew Snelson was elected unopposed to be the first Mayor of Palmerston North on 9 August 1877. [2]
It went on to be raised to city-status on 11 August 1930, [3] becoming New Zealand's 7th city. [4]
The boundaries of the city went on to be expanded to include parts of Awapuni (in April 1953), [5] Highbury (in April 1961), and Amberley, Aokautere, Kelvin Grove, Milson and further parts of Awapuni (in September 1967). [6]
The local elections of 1962 returned the first woman and first Māori councillors to the city council. [6]
Following the local government reforms of 1989, the city council's boundaries were again extended to include Ashhurst, Linton and Turitea through amalgamation of parts of the former Kairanga County, Oroua County and Ashhurst Town Council. [7] [8]
On 1 July 2012, Bunnythorpe, Longburn, part of the area around Kairanga and an area around Ashhurst were transferred from the Manawatū District to Palmerston North City. [9] [10]
In 2017 the council voted to create a Māori ward, but the decision was overturned by a city-wide referendum in May 2018. [11]
In 2021, Palmerston North City Council again voted to establish a Māori ward following the passing of the Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021. [12]
The elected mayor and councillors provide governance for the city by setting the policy direction of the council, monitoring its performance, representing the city's interests, and employing the Chief Executive.
The Chief Executive runs the everyday business of the council. The Chief Executive is currently Waid Crockett. [13]
Position | Name | Ward | Ticket (if any) | |
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Mayor | Grant Smith | At-large | Independent | |
Deputy Mayor | Debi Marshall-Lobb | Te Pūao | ||
Councillor | Billy Meehan | Te Hirawanui | Independent | |
Councillor | Brent Barrett | Te Hirawanui | Green | |
Councillor | Karen Naylor | Te Hirawanui | Independent | |
Councillor | Kaydee Zabelin | Te Hirawanui | Green | |
Councillor | Leonie Hapeta | Te Hirawanui | ||
Councillor | Lew Findlay | Te Hirawanui | Independent | |
Councillor | Lorna Johnson | Te Hirawanui | Labour | |
Councillor | Mark Arnott | Te Hirawanui | ||
Councillor | Orphée Mickalad | Te Hirawanui | Independent | |
Councillor | Patrick Handcock | Te Hirawanui | Independent | |
Councillor | Rachel Bowen | Te Hirawanui | Independent | |
Councillor | Roly Fitzgerald | Te Pūao | ||
Councillor | Vaughan Dennison | Te Hirawanui | ||
Councillor | William Wood | Te Hirawanui | ||
Palmerston North City Council was granted an official Coat of Arms in 1989, [16] [17] incorporating elements of the council's previous unofficial coat of arms which had been in use since 1885. The arms contain several visual puns on the name of the city. A description of the arms is: [18] [19]
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The flag of the Palmerston North City Council consists of the coat of arms on a white field. There have been suggestions to change the flag to better represent the city. [22]
Palmerston North is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manawatu River, 35 km (22 mi) from the river's mouth, and 12 km (7 mi) from the end of the Manawatū Gorge, about 140 km (87 mi) north of the capital, Wellington. Palmerston North is the country's eighth-largest urban area, with an urban population of 83,100. The estimated population of Palmerston North city is 92,500.
Manawatū-Whanganui is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, whose main population centres are the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council, which operates under the name Horizons Regional Council.
The Porirua City Council is the territorial authority for the city of Porirua, New Zealand.
The Tararua District is a district near the south-east corner of New Zealand's North Island that is administered by the Tararua District Council. It has a population of 19,250, and an area of 4,364.62 km². The Tararua District Council was created by the amalgamation of the Dannevirke Borough, Eketahuna County Council, Pahiatua Borough Council, Pahiatua County Council and Woodville District Council in the 1989 local government reforms.
Manawatū District is a territorial authority district in the Manawatū-Whanganui local government region in the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Manawatū District Council. It includes most of the area between the Manawatū River in the south and the Rangitīkei River in the north, stretching from slightly south of the settlement of Himatangi in the south, to just south of Mangaweka in the north, and from the Rangitīkei River to the top of the Ruahine Range in the east. It does not include the Foxton area and the mouth of the Manawatū River, or Palmerston North City. Its main town is Feilding. The district has an area of 2,624 km².
Ashhurst is a town and outlying suburb of Palmerston North, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.
The Rangitikei District is a territorial authority district located primarily in the Manawatū-Whanganui region in the North Island of New Zealand, although a small part, the town of Ngamahanga, lies in the Hawke's Bay Region. It is located in the southwest of the island, and follows the catchment area of the Rangitīkei River.
Bunnythorpe is a village in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island, 10 km (6 mi) north of the region's major city, Palmerston North. Dairy farms predominate the surrounding area but the community facilities include Bunnythorpe School, with a roll of about 80 pupils as of 2010, as well as a rugby football club, country club and several manufacturing plants. The population was 687 in the 2018 census.
Roslyn is a suburb in the city of Palmerston North, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand.
Kelvin Grove is a suburb of Palmerston North on New Zealand's North Island. It is bounded on the north by the North Island Main Trunk railway, Manawatū District and Milson, on the west by Palmerston North–Gisborne Line and Roslyn, the south by the Manawatū River, and the east by James Line and Whakarongo.
Milson is a suburb of Palmerston North, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand. The suburb is located to the north of the city, beyond the North Island Main Trunk Rail.
Whakarongo is a suburb of Palmerston North, New Zealand, between the city and Ashhurst. It is mainly rural, and features many vegetable gardens.
Oroua County was one of the counties of New Zealand in the North Island. Centred on the town of Feilding, it had an extent of just under 500 square kilometres.
Longburn railway station was a station in Longburn, on the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand. The platform, which is across from the Fonterra Factory, remains but the structure has been demolished.
Awapuni railway station was a station in Kairanga County, on the Foxton Branch and, from 1908, the North Island Main Trunk in New Zealand, now in the Palmerston North suburb of Awapuni. It was beside the Mangaone Stream, near its confluence with the Kawau Stream, about 400 m (440 yd) west of Maxwells Line on the north side of Pioneer Highway. Nothing remains of the former station, except a wide verge, partly occupied by a cycleway, built in 2015.
Koitiata is a settlement located in the southwestern part of Rangitikei District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. At the time of the 2018 census, Koitiata had a population of 126. Marton is located 24 km to the east and Whanganui is located 29 km to the northwest. Nearby Koitiata is Lake Koitiata.
The Whanganui District Council, formerly spelled Wanganui District Council, is the territorial authority for Whanganui District, New Zealand, comprising the city of Whanganui and its surrounding areas.
Grant Charles Smith is the 29th mayor of Palmerston North, New Zealand. He was first elected to the Palmerston North City Council in 2013, and was elected as mayor in the February 2015 by-election when Jono Naylor resigned. He then won the 2016 election with around 17,500 more votes than his only rival. He was re-elected in 2022. He came from a background of marketing and media, selling his design business when first elected as mayor.
Tangi William Edward Utikere is a New Zealand politician, and Member of Parliament for Palmerston North since 2020. He was the deputy mayor of Palmerston North from 2016 to 2020, being the first non-European to serve in that role.
Māori wards and constituencies refer to wards and constituencies on urban, district, and regional councils in New Zealand that represent local constituents registered on the Māori parliamentary electoral roll vote. Like Māori electorates within the New Zealand Parliament, the purpose of Māori wards and constituencies is to ensure that Māori are represented in local government decision making.