View objections and counter-objections

Objection

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Mr Harvey Jones

I object to the boundary change which would move Ashhurst from the Rangitikei electorate to that of the Wairarapa.
My objection is based on four of the five grounds for objections.
1. The existing electorate boundary has Ashhurst lodged within its local farming neighbours and local town of Feilding under the Rangitikei electorate.
2. The community of interest for Ashhurst is based around Palmerston North city for work , play and recreation. Our community has little or no links to the community on the other side of the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges. Our local community of interest does include Feilding for shopping, farmers market and other local activities. As a result our community of interest is based in either of Palmerston North or Rangitikei electorates.
3. The infrastructure of roads and bridges which link us together are primarily based on this side of the mountains. The two existing connections to the Wairarapa of Saddle Rd and The Track are second class roads subject to severe weather conditions, with slips and accidents regularly closing either (or both) roads.
4. There are major topographic features which divide Ashhurst from the proposed Wairarapa electorate. The Ruahine Ranges, Tararua Ranges and Manawatu Gorge are significant boundaries which divide the East and West sides of the lower North Island.

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Objection

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Veera Hannula

I am objecting moving Ashhurst from Ragitikei (A) to Wairarapa (B). I live in Ashhurst which is a sub-urban area of Palmerston North and we pay our rates in Palmy. Why would we do the general election in Wairarapa. I don't know anyone in Wairarapa and I doubt I could find anyone in that area to be able to represent me. Geographically it does not make sense either, as Wairarpa is on the other side of the hills.

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Objection

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Marty Rowe

I don't consider that the town of Ashhurst should be taken from the Palmerston North electorate and included in the Wairarapa electorate. Ashhurst is geographically in the Manawatu district and as basically a small dormitory town for Palmerston North shares a cultural and historical bond with other parts of Manawatu. It has nothing much in common with Wairarapa.

Objection

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Mr Peter Moore

i have heard the electoral commission is thinking of moving Ashhurst into the wairarapa electorate. This makes no sense to me, it has bo connection geographically to that electorate as the Tararuas i.e Woodville, Pahaiatua, Eketahuna, etc lies between us. Not sure how a wairarapa would be able to serve the people of Ashhurst or know what we are dealing with

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Objection

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Mr Ken Pratt

Because we live on the western side of the Ranges this is our area not the East.

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Objection

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Mr Antony Woollams

The proposed absorption of Ashhurst township into the Wairarapa electorate is at best illogical and distressing, but at worst a travesty, misguided and misunderstood, a level of ignorance, with no understanding of local culture, and no apparent interest in the potential effects, economically or culturally, on the provincial people of New Zealand.
Ashhurst has very little in common with the Wairarapa district.
We are separated by a mountain range.  
We are governed locally by the Palmerston North City Council and further out Horizons and Manawatu District Council (Feilding).
Our culture, rates, education and work are all in Palmerston North.
Our children attend high school in Palmerston North and the Manawatu, they play sport, attend tertiary education, entertainment, to see a doctor we go to Palmerston North, to go to hospital Palmerston North, to visit friends and relatives, with the majority of Ashhurst people working in Palmerston North, or the greater Manawatu.
All of our Police Fire Ambulance emergency services come from Palmerston North.
The military camps and bases are in the greater Manawatu with many military, emergency services and hospital staff, and their families living in Ashhurst and the surrounding district.
ANZAC Day is often attended locally in Ashhurst, Palmerston North and Feilding.
Weather, culture, sports, economics, work, emergency services, hospital, healthcare, education, the list is endless.
All of our buses go to Palmerston North.
Our bore water is piped to back up to the Palmerston North City water supply,
We have very little to do with the Wairarapa.
Linton, Shannon, Aokautere, Foxton, Levin, Colyton, Feilding, Bulls, Whanganui, these are the many of the examples of the places we travel and head to, not often to the Wairarapa.
Interestingly if anything the northern Wairarapa and the southern Hawkes Bay come "over the hill" to Palmerston North, through Ashhurst for work, business, commerce, University and hospital outpatient appointments, especially oncology.
Palmy is the hub of the Mid Central Lower North Island, Ashhurst is part of that hub.
Here is the ironic and interesting dilemma for Ashhurst.
If you change us to the Wairarapa general electorate.
We would vote for a mayor and councillors in the upcoming local body elections to Palmerston North City Council for local representation (some of whom live in Ashhurst!).
But then have to vote for a Wairarapa MP to represent us in Parliament???
A Wairarapa MP will not be able to practically represent Ashhurst and we will drop to the bottom of the pile.
The local Palmerston North MP is currently involved in a variety of local issues that effect Ashhurst, we will lose this representation if we are attached to Wairarapa.

Objection

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Joshua Webster

Object to Ashhurst becoming part of Wairarapa

I object to the boundary change which will make ashhurst part of Wairarapa. Ashhurst should be part of Palmerston North. The ranges are a natural boundary, and it makes no sense to pull ashhurst into a region on the opposite side.

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Objection

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Mr Ryan Maguire

To the Electorate Boundary Review Committee,

I imagine that this objection would not be the only objection to the town of Ashhurst being redrawn into the Wairarapa electorate. This submission will briefly outline both why Ashhurst would be more of a community of interest to the Palmerston North Electorate, and why it would be possible for the Palmerston North electorate to absorb Ashhurst's population on projected quota tolerances for the area.

Firstly, Ashhurst sits to the west of the Tararua and Ruahine Mountain Ranges, and the Manawatu Gorge. This geographic isolation from the rest of the Wairarapa, and much closer proximity to the Manawatu and Rangitikei regions, as well as Palmerston North should serve as a pressing reason why Ashhurst should remain at the very least part of either Rangitikei or Palmerston North, electorates to the west of those mountain ranges.

Furthermore, given that Ashhurst is a sattelite town of Palmerston North, with only 16 minutes drive between each settlement's respective centres, it would make more sense to place Ashhurst into the Palmerston North electorate than the 19 minute drive away from the closest settlement Woodville, and 1 hour and 12 minutes drive away from Masterton where the current MP for Wairarapa's electorate office is located. I believe that the Ashhurst community would be mroe effectively represented by an electorate MP that resides in an area closer to them.

Finally, according to the NZ Electorate Boundary Review's manual, the Wairarapa electorate currently sits at +4.4% above quota, but is projected to decrease in population to be +1.0% above quota in 2026, and -0.7% below quota in 2029. The new Palmerston North boundaries currently sit at +4.9% above quota, but is also projected to decrease to +1.7% above quota in 2026, and +0.1% above quota in 2029. Given that the Rangitikei electorate is projected to be +0.5% above quota in 2029, I believe the better option is for Ashhurst to join into the Palmerston North electorate. Given these projected quota numbers, I believe that it is feasible for the Wairarapa and Palmerston North electorates to shift the popluation of Ashhurst (about 3,400 according to Stats NZ as of June 2024) into Palmerston North without significantly affecting either's population quota.

Thank you.

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Objection

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Glenn Lind

Ashhurst residents pay rates to the Palmerston North City Council (we also vote in the local elections) and Manawatu District Council, Local politics wise we have much closer ties to the Manawatu and Rangitikei areas. Geographically we lie within these areas also, whereas there is a natural border to the Wairarapa area being the Ruahine Ranges. The Rangitikei or Palmerston North MP also has ties to the local social services and health systems, whereas the Wairarapa MP would have less sway considering they do not live or work in the local area e.g if a local constituent is having issues with the Palmerston North hospital the current MP would have their finger much more on the pulse, rather than the Wairarapa MP who would be more familiar with their local health services. In summary Ashhurst is a much more natural fit staying in the Rangitikei or moving to the Palmerston North electorate based on local government, rates, geographically and having an MP who is involved in the community and has local contacts.

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Objection

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Kane Adams

Why would you change Ashhurst from Rangitikei? The people who live in Ashhurst live and work in the greater Palmerston North region, and have very little connection to the Wairarapa which is divided from Ashhurst by the significant geographical boundary of the Tararua Ranges.

I’ve read the proposed changes document and can’t see a significant reason for the change, Ashhurst has a strong connection to Rangitikei, and I don’t see the need for a change beyond administration.

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Objection

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Mrs and Mr and Mr Lyn and Craig and Quentin Stevens

Ashhurst needs to remain part of Palmerston North.

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Objection

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Pat Mulligan

My objection is Ashhurst being included in Wairarapa!
We live and shop in Palmerston North/ Manawatu.
We are closer to Palmerston North than Wairarapa! Our needs are different!

Objection

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D Stevenson

I object to Ashhurst being moved from the Rangitikei electorate to the Wairarapa electorate for the following reasons:
1. Ashhurst is part of Palmerston North city - we work, shop, go to high school, university, visit Drs, Dentists etc. in Palmerston North, our closest city.
2. We want an accessible MP who is familiar with our local community and environment, who we can visit face-to-face without having to travel to Wairarapa, and who is directly impacted by any decisions made regarding our area.
3. We are a very great distance from Wairarapa - the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges, as well as the Manawatu Gorge distinctly separate us from Wairarapa.
3. Roads from Ashhurst to Wairarapa are often closed due to weather, maintenance and traffic accidents.

Objection

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Ms Patricia Kirkwood

MY OBJECTION:
Ashhurst being absorbed into the Wairarapa Electorate!

MY REASONS:
As lovely as Wairarapa is, there is Nothing that Links Us to the Area!

Geographically, there is a Mountain Range between Us!

So We are, as We ALWAYS have been, Isolated from the Wairarapa by Location!

MANY People from the Wairarapa transit through Ashhurst, to Work in Palmerston North, and Home again.
There has been NO Massive Revenue Gain, as intimated at the beginning of the Roading Project!

The Only Conclusion for Ashhurst NOT being Absorbed into the Palmerston North Electorate, that I can Fathom, would be that Ashhurst Voters are Primarily NZFirst & ACT Voters, and absorbing Us could mean a Swing in the Electoral Ourcomes for Palmerston North...

Which Speaks to a Darker Motive, that Completely Disrespects & Disadvantages Ashhurst Voters, in the Government Voting!!!

We have;
* Palmerston North City Councilors
* Palmerston North Rates
* Palmerston North Rubbish Collection
* Palmerston North Post Code
* Palmerston North City Council has Accessed the Ashhurst Bore Water, for additional Water Supply for Palmerston North City
* Ashhurst is where Families of; Service Personnel, Fire, Police, Ambulance, Prison Guards Live, as it is within the Outer Reaches of Palmerston North, without having to live Rurally!

The surge in people living in Ashhurst, that came with the Replacement Highway Project, is about to change, as the Project nears Completion in the next 4 weeks, so there will be people leaving Ashhurst, in Search of Jobs, wherever the Next Roading Project comes up.

So if this is a decision solely around a Numbers Game, it is a Squewed Perspective!

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Objection

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Justin Kumar

I want Ashhurst to remain a part of Palmerston North (not Wairarapa).

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