From 11 March to 15 April, the online cemetery database will not be updated as we are currently working on improving how cemetery records are managed. If you need help finding burial or plot information during this time, please call us on (04) 527 2169. Thank you for your understanding.
Shine a light on the people who have made a big difference in Upper Hutt by nominating them for a Civic Award! Nominations close 26 June 2026.
The next representation review will be undertaken prior to the 2028 election. A review commenced in 2024 with a decision to retain the current representation for the 2025 election.
A representation review is a mandatory process that Councils must carry out every six years. The review is crucial to ensure that all communities in our city are represented fairly and effectively.
Currently, the Upper Hutt community is represented by a mayor and ten councillors who are elected across the whole of Upper Hutt. There are no community boards.
The review will examine our representation model, considering the appropriate number of councillors and the establishment and structuring of any additional wards, including any Māori wards, and community boards.
The review needs to consider the following key factors:
The aim of Māori Wards is to ensure Māori are represented in local government decision making.
If a Maori ward is established, people enrolled on the Māori electoral roll will vote for candidates standing for the Māori Ward.
Like all Councillors, a Māori Ward Councillor will represent the residents in their ward, but also make a declaration, once elected, to act in the best interests of the city as a whole.
The representation review process determines that the communities in our city are fairly and effectively represented at Council. It covers:
The fair and effective number of elected members to have
Whether our communities will be fairly and effectively represented
Whether they are elected by ward or city wide (‘at- large’) or a mix of both
Whether there should be wards and if yes then names of those wards
Whether Māori wards will be established and how they would be structured
A Representation Review is an essential process required at least once every six years. The purpose of this review is to make sure that the communities in our city are fairly and effectively represented. Any agreed changes will be put in place for the next council elections in 2028.
No, it just spreads the same budget across the councillors.
The law requires there to be fair and effective representation for individuals and communities when it comes to electing the mayor and councillors. Fair representation is about each councillor representing an approximately equal number of people.
Effective representation is about the total number of councillors there are in relation to things like the size and geography of the area and the diversity of its people. Being effective can be considered, for example, in terms of how easy it is to get in touch with your local councillor or councillors, and how well those councillors are able to represent the range of people and interests in their area.
A community board are members who are elected to look after local interests in a specific community and act as link between the community and Council. They’re usually established to enable the communities to have their say in local issues.
‘Wards’ are the parts of a Council area that have been determined by population and communities of interest for the purpose of electing representatives to the Council.
Māori wards provide one way for Māori to have a voice and be represented in local government decision-making, similar to the dedicated electorate seats in Parliament.
Successful Māori ward candidates become councillors and have a particular responsibility to represent people of Māori descent to bring forward their views and aspirations. However, they also represent the entire community.
Similar to the Māori Parliamentary seats, Māori wards establish areas where only those on the Māori electoral roll vote for the candidates in that ward.
The local Council must pass a resolution to establish Māori ward/s. If it decides to introduce Māori wards for the 2028 elections, it must do so no later than November 2026 (two years prior to the next triennial election).
Our Council is committed to hearing the views of mana whenua, tangata whenua and the broader community about the establishment of Māori wards, before making a decision.
No, there cannot be more than one ward for a specific geographic area. A ward may contain more than one Council seat.
The requirements to stand for Council are the same for all Council seats. You do not need to live in the geographic area of a ward, to stand for that ward.
To be eligible to stand for election, a candidate must be:
A New Zealand citizen (by birth or citizenship ceremony), aged over 18; and
Enrolled as a Parliamentary elector (anywhere in New Zealand); and
Nominated by two electors whose names appear on the electoral roll within the ward a candidate is standing. Candidates in Māori wards do not need to be of Māori descent, however they need to be nominated by two people on the Māori electoral roll.
Candidates cannot stand for both a general ward and a Māori ward at the same time.
The requirements to stand for Council are the same regardless of if you stand for a Māori ward, or general ward.
Like all councillors, a Māori ward councillor would represent the residents in their ward, but they also make a declaration once elected, to act in the best interests of the city as a whole. A Māori ward councillor will have a particular responsibility to represent people of Māori descent.