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Objection

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Hannah Smith

Newlands should not be apart of Hutt South. While it is easy to look at a map and put them together, they are nowhere near close enough together to be considered apart of the same electorate.

Keep Ohariu electorate!!

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Objection

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Dr Matthew Lloyd

The proposed boundary change for Woodridge and the eastern part of Newlands separates these suburbs from existing community connections to the remainder of Newlands and the other northern suburbs. There is absolutely no community connection to the Hutt region, currently being represented by entirely separate councils. If Hutt South electorate was to become the proposed electorate this would significantly harm meaningful representation of residents in the Woodridge and east Newlands region given it would become a Wellington outpost of a Hutt council region. There would certainly be a significant impact in the residents access to schooling if the residents are to now sit within a Hutt council electorate.

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Objection

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Ms Nerys Foster

I am writing to oppose the proposed changes that would split the suburb of Newlands and move part of it into the Hutt South electorate.
Newlands is a cohesive and well-connected part of the Wellington Northern Suburbs. Residents share community facilities, transport links, schools, and services with neighbouring suburbs such as Johnsonville, Paparangi, and Grenada. The proposal to shift part of Newlands into the Hutt Valley—an area with which we have little daily connection—is not reflective of how our community actually functions.
From a practical standpoint, Newlands functions as a single, integrated suburb. Residents shop, work, go to school, and participate in local events together. Splitting it for electoral purposes would not reflect the social and geographic realities of the area.
Dividing Newlands between different electorates would undermine this sense of community and weaken the ability of residents to be effectively represented on matters that affect them as a whole.
The proposed split risks creating confusion among residents about their representation and diluting their collective voice in electoral matters. It would make community advocacy more difficult, as different parts of the suburb would be represented by different Members of Parliament, potentially leading to inconsistent support and representation. Thus, this change risks undermining effective representation for residents, who currently benefit from unified advocacy and engagement under one Member of Parliament.
Key reasons for opposing the proposed split include:
1. Community Integrity: Newlands has long been recognized as a single, integrated community. Dividing it would disrupt community cohesion and make it more difficult for residents to work together on local initiatives and concerns.
2. Local Services and Infrastructure: The suburb shares core infrastructure, schools, transport routes, and community services. These shared resources are best managed and advocated for under a single electorate.
3. Representation and Accessibility: A split would create confusion for constituents, who may not know which MP to approach for issues affecting the broader suburb. It may also dilute representation by weakening the collective voice of Newlands residents.
4. Precedent and Stability: Newlands has historically remained intact within electorate boundaries. Redrawing the lines in this way sets a concerning precedent and could invite further fragmentation of communities in the future.
I urge the Commission to reconsider the proposed boundary changes and to maintain Newlands within the single electorate of Kenepuru. This will ensure fair and coherent representation for the residents of our suburb and uphold the principle of keeping communities of interest intact.

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Objection

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P Herath

school zones will be so hard. We will not be able to travel to Hutt for school after primary.
Hutt council won't have a clue about northern suburbs and issues will pile up and the residents and the housing market will suffer!

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Objection

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Ellen Parkhouse

Newlands has been split into two - half is now in the Lower Hutt region. We want the one voice for the suburb - we’re already the unpopular suburb to invest in, so don’t need our voice divided further

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Objection

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Ms Gabriela Jimenez Rojas

I object to the suburb of Newlands being split between Hutt South and the new proposed electorate of Keneperu. I don't believe there is any value in arbitrarily separating a community as is proposed. With such a small area of Newlands being brought over to Hutt South, the views, input and needs of the community is likely to be lost amongst the more numerous members of the Lower Hutt community which is a perverse outcome and I dont believe this is the intent.

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Objection

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Mr Michael Higham

Newlands is cut off from the suburb it is actually an extension of (Johnsonville). Connecting Newlands to Hutt South is bonkers if you actually live here. There is an obvious overlap in concern with people in Johnsonville, but putting Newlands with the Hutt South electorate will dilute our voice about issues in our actual area.

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Objection

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Mrs Rachael Skittrup-Ikurere

Newlands and Woodridge are part of the Northern Suburbs. The communities are intertwined with Johnsonville, Paparangi and Churton Park. Drawing a line down the middle and adding them to the Hutt South electorate makes absolutely no sense. The Hutt is a completely separate council and area. You can’t even drive from Newlands and Woodridge into the Hutt without leaving the suburbs to go down the gorge and along the motorway by the harbour to get there. It is almost like the people suggesting this change have not been to the area to see how ridiculous this would be.

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Objection

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Kristin Downey

I object to newlands being split in two, with my part of newlands going to Hutt south. there is no natural or common focus that binds Newlands and the rest of Hutt South. we will be the poor relations of Hutt South as electorate MPs will naturally focus on the goals and aspirations of the majority of the electorate - not the small number of people from the northern suburbs who have been carved off Ohariu and lumped in with Hutt South.

Objection

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Annette Kirkwood

I have lived in [street name], Newlands and contributed to the community through participation in Kindy, School, Girl Guiding and other community organisations for 50 years. I have no affiliation or reasonable transport access to the Hutt Valley but identify closely to Johnsonville. I believe our area , including Woodridge should remain in the electorate area that represents Johnsonville.

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Objection

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Mrs Tania Woolf-Ben-Avraham

My objection is to the proposed inclusion of Newlands in the Hutt South electorate.
Including Newlands in the Hutt South electorate makes no sense as Newlands socially, and by roading and public transport, is connected to Johnsonville.
Newlands has no social nor direct roading connection to the Hutt Valley (and Hutt South). Including Newlands in Hutt South would cut Newlands off from its geographical and social community (the rest of the current Ohariu electorate, particularly Johnsonville).
There is no direct road from Newlands to the Hutt South electorate. Travel there requires either going either south most of the way into Wellington, then turning north on the motorway to go to the Hutt, or going north past Porirua an over the Haywards. Both of those involve some considerable travel time in a private vehicle. There is no direct public transport there either, one would have to go into Wellington (by bus, or by train after going to Johnsonville first) then switch to either train or bus to go to the Hutt. It would take much of a whole day to get to the Hutt South area and back on public transport.
Newlands socially connects into the Johnsonville township area for services, shopping, and accessing social services (restaurants, WINZ office etc). There is no natural social connection to the Hutt South area at all.
Putting Newlands in Hutt South is simply bonkers. It is an error that should be corrected. (I assume whoever decided it could go in Hutt South looked at map of the area and neglected to consider roading, or public transport routes, both for their own sake and for the signs they give of social engagement and cohesion.)

Note: I have made a second submission arguing that the Ohariu electorate as is is valuable and objecting to it being broken up. That submission is more general and emotional.
This submission, specifically objecting to Newlands being in Hutt South, is made separately as it is the more important of the two. If Ohariu has to be broken up, Newlands should be in whichever electorate Johnsonville ends up in.

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Objection

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Stephanie Rodgers

A large section of Newlands along with Woodridge are proposed to be included in the Hutt South electorate. The proposed boundary cuts through the centre of Newlands putting those residents into a different electorate from their local shops, community facilities and schools.

These suburbs are geographically distinct from the rest of Hutt South and have no direct link to the Hutt Valley (requiring travel either through Porirua and over the Haywards, or down the Ngauranga Gorge and up SH1; there is no direct public transport link). They share a much stronger community of interest with the rest of Newlands, Paparangi, and Johnsonville.

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Objection

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Ren Jerota

Merging Newlands into Hutt South doesn't make geographical sense, as the divided portion of Newlands to be merged doesn't have access to the Hutt Road or to Wellington Harbour. I as a resident of Hutt South don't share interests with the people in the to be merged part of Newlands, they do not have access to the same amenities (post offices, JPs, medical services, supermarkets) I do, and vice versa.

Objection

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Mr Justin Chaudhary

I am writing to object to the proposed boundary changes for the 2026 General Election, specifically the proposal to transfer Woodridge into the Hutt South electorate following the disestablishment of the Ōhāriu electorate.

As a resident of Woodridge, I strongly believe that this proposal does not reflect the geographic realities, the community of interest, or the natural boundaries that should guide electorate design. I respectfully submit that Woodridge should remain part of a Wellington-based electorate.

Geographic Separation

Woodridge is part of Wellington City, situated to the north of Newlands and Paparangi, nestled into the hills above the northern suburbs. It is geographically distinct from Lower Hutt. Significant natural barriers — including the Wellington Fault escarpment, Belmont Regional Park, and limited east-west road corridors — separate Woodridge from the Hutt Valley.

Travel between Woodridge and Lower Hutt is not direct or intuitive. Residents must currently either drive south towards Ngauranga and then northeast along State Highway 2, or cross Haywards Hill via State Highway 58 — routes that are neither geographically nor socially natural for daily community life. This clear physical separation demonstrates that Woodridge does not logically belong in a Lower Hutt-based electorate. I would consider the Possibility of being part of Hutt South once the Grenada to Petone Link is completed and operational.

Community of Interest

Woodridge's community of interest lies firmly with Wellington City:

Woodridge is part of the Wellington City Council jurisdiction, not Hutt City Council.

Residents use Wellington City services including the Wellington Central Library, Keith Spry Pool in Johnsonville, and health facilities based in Wellington.

Children from Woodridge attend Wellington City schools such as Newlands School, Newlands Intermediate, and Newlands College.

Our public transport routes are designed to connect Woodridge to Wellington’s city center, not Lower Hutt.

Shopping, cultural, and community activities revolve around Wellington hubs like Johnsonville Mall, Newlands shops, and Wellington CBD, not Lower Hutt.

There are no direct social, cultural, or economic ties between Woodridge and Lower Hutt communities like Petone, Wainuiomata, or Eastbourne.

Electoral Identity and Voter Confusion

Assigning Woodridge to Hutt South would create voter confusion and a sense of disconnection from parliamentary representation.
Woodridge residents identify as Wellingtonians. Grouping us with Lower Hutt communities would undermine local identity and weaken the sense of fair and meaningful representation that electorate boundaries are meant to protect.

Consistency with the Electoral Act

The Electoral Act 1993 requires that electorate boundaries:

-Reflect communities of interest,

-Facilitate effective representation, and

-Maintain geographic coherence.

The proposed transfer of Woodridge into Hutt South conflicts with these principles.
Woodridge shares no community of interest with Hutt South, faces significant geographic separation, and would suffer diminished representation as a result.

Summary

In summary:

Woodridge is part of Wellington City geographically, socially, and politically.

Our community of interest lies firmly with other Wellington northern suburbs, not the Hutt Valley.

Geographic barriers separate us from Lower Hutt.

Assigning Woodridge to Hutt South would cause confusion and diminish effective democratic representation.

What would this mean for Woodridge being part of the Wellington City council boundary? if this change were to proceed would we become rate payers for the Hutt City Council?

I therefore strongly oppose the proposed transfer of Woodridge into the Hutt South electorate and urge the Representation Commission to ensure Woodridge remains part of a Wellington-based electorate.

Thank you for considering my submission.

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Objection

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Mr Kevin Ikin

I object to the proposal to scrap the Ohariu electorate and include Newlands in Hutt South electorate. Newlands has no community of interest with Hutt Valley and this move would isolate it in terms of political representation.