Voting rights changes to reshape Whanganui council committees from March 2027
Whanganui will review its council committee structures ahead of legislation removing voting rights from independent members with specialist expertise.
Independent members of council committees, including chairs of key oversight committees, will lose their voting rights from mid-March next year.
At Whanganui District Council, the change will affect the roles of independent chairs Andrew Turner and Susan Kosmala, who currently have voting rights on the Council Controlled Organisations and Economic Growth Committee and the Risk and Assurance Committee.
“Rather than being independent voting members, their primary function would be to provide specialist expertise and guide committee discussions,” council democracy services manager Anna Palamountain said.
The changes follow the passing of the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Act 2026, which amends the Local Government Act 2002, the legal framework for local government.
The new law restricts committee voting to elected members and means non-elected members no longer count toward a committee’s quorum, subject to specified exceptions.
Non-elected members will still be able to participate in committee discussions in a non-voting capacity.
The changes take effect from mid-March, six months after the act’s commencement date.
“The council will use the intervening period to review its governance structures, committee membership, delegations and quorum arrangements,” Palamountain said.
“We won’t know the full implications of these changes until [they] take effect from mid-March 2027.”
She said independent members brought valuable perspectives and expertise to the council’s work.
“Independent members make a valuable contribution by bringing independent perspectives, commercial acumen and expertise that helps strengthen scrutiny in areas like finance, audit and risk management. Their presence also provides stability across election cycles.”
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said independent members would continue to make an important contribution even without voting rights.
“One way or another, independents bring a level of expertise that we don’t always have around the council table, particularly in specialist areas,” Tripe told Local Democracy Reporting.
“Voting is only one part of the committee process – their expertise adds value through the questions they ask and the contributions they make to discussions.”
Local Government Minister Simon Watts announced on September 16 the bill had passed its third reading, saying the changes would strengthen councils’ focus on core services and accountability.
“The bill is a significant step forward for councils and their communities. It means a stronger focus on core services, clearer information on performance and greater accountability for the decisions councils make.”
He said restricting council voting to elected members would strengthen democratic accountability.
“Unelected members can provide valuable expertise and advice, but voting rights should sit with those elected and accountable to their communities.”
Palamountain said the council was yet to work through the detail of exceptions to the new rules and how they might apply to its committees.
Exceptions apply to some appointments and committees established under other legislation or Treaty settlements. Further exceptions can be made by Order in Council on the recommendation of the Minister of Local Government.
The voting restrictions follow confirmation in September that they would also apply to members of Houkura, the Auckland Council’s Independent Māori Statutory Board.
Asked if other council structures with non-elected members could be affected by the new law, such as those with iwi and hapū, the Whanganui council said it would need to work through how each was established and any associated legislation.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.