Some southern voters will find themselves in a new electorate at the next general election, with electorate boundary changes confirmed by the Representation Commission today.

Seven percent of the New Zealand population will be in a different electorate at the 2020 election, with the main changes being in Auckland, Waikato, Christchurch, Otago and Southland. 

The Clutha-Southland electorate – to be renamed the Southland electorate – will lose South Otago to the newly-named Taieri electorate and gains Alexandra and Clyde from the Waitaki electorate.

In what is possibly the most unexpected change, Tuatapere and other parts of western Southland will be included in the Invercargill electorate as its area spreads further west rather than incorporating the Winton and Catlins areas as was previously proposed.

The Clutha-Southland electorate currently comprises the Southland District and Gore District and parts of the Queenstown-Lakes District and Central Otago District. It includes the communities of Clinton, Raes Junction, Roxburgh, Arrowtown, Queenstown and Te Anau.

The Invercargill electorate currently comprises the coastal area between Orepuki in the west and Owaka and The Catlins in the east, and includes Invercargill city, Bluff, and the communities of Riverton/Aparima, Edendale and Wyndham. It also includes Stewart Island/Rakiura.

The Representation Commission reviews and adjusts electorate boundaries after each five-yearly population census and the Maori Electoral Option. The electorate boundary review began six months ago, and the proposed electorates were released for public comment in November. A total of 438 written submissions were received, including 33 from the Invercargill and Clutha-Southland electorates, and public hearings were held in February.

“Where possible, we have maintained existing electorate boundaries and no changes have been made to 36 electorates. The boundaries of 30 general and 5 Maori electorates have been adjusted to some degree,” Representation Commission chairman Judge Craig Thompson said.

The final electorates can be viewed through interactive mapping HERE. Electorate maps and the Report of the Representation Commission 2020 can also be downloaded from the website.