Current Situation

The Mackenzie District is currently split into two electoral wards - Opuha and Pukaki - with three councillors elected from each ward. The Mayor is elected at large.

There are currently three community boards, Twizel, Tekapo and Fairlie. Each community board has four members elected from the community and one appointed councillor. The community board boundaries enclose the urban areas of each town.

It is not possible to continue with the status quo because the latest census shows that the population of the Twizel/Pukaki area has grown faster than the population of the Fairlie/Opuha area. This has created an imbalance between the two wards.