Maitland City Council exhibits proposed ward boundary adjustments

The Maitland Local Government Area is divided by population numbers into four areas called ‘wards,’ with three elected councillors per ward to represent everyone in Maitland.

Under the Local Government Act 1993, all councils must review ward boundaries before each election, ensuring that the difference in elector numbers between each ward does not exceed 10 percent. The next local government election is in September 2024.

Local Government elections are coming up in September 2024. Due to the substantial population growth experienced by our community, our ward boundaries required adjustment to balance elector numbers with the proposed changes now open for public review.

Group Manager Strategy Performance and Business Systems, Leah Flint reflected on the importance of the review, stating, 'Maitland has experienced remarkable growth, and it is vital that our ward boundaries accurately reflect this growth and provide equitable representation for all our voters. Our experts have thoughtfully designed the proposed adjustments to achieve a more balanced distribution of voters per ward.'

In consultation with the NSW Electoral Commission and the Australian Statistician, Council has developed the proposed ward boundary alterations, considering defined geographic features such as water courses, roads, railway lines, and communities of interest to create boundaries that align with our city's changing demographics.

Additionally, Council proposes a simplified naming structure to offer greater clarity and geographical relevance of our four wards. The new numerical naming convention will follow a clockwise direction, starting with Ward 1, encompassing the Maitland Administration Centre and Town Hall, through to Ward 4.

'This revised naming structure seeks to provide a more intuitive understanding of each ward's location within the local government area,' said Ms Flint.

Maitland City Council encourages residents to participate in public notice process, which includes a public exhibition period of 28 days. The proposed ward adjustments will be available for public review and Council will accept submissions for 42 days.

'We want to ensure the community is aware of the changes and how we have developed the new boundaries,’ said Ms Flint.

Staff will review all submissions received during the public exhibition period and refer any appropriate variations to Council for consideration. Visit mait.city/WardAdjustments for more information.