As its population soars, Maitland is being forced to update its boundaries.
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%.
The city originally known as Wallis Plains is currently divided by population numbers into four areas, or “wards”.
Each has three elected councillors representing the people of Maitland.
With the next local government election falling in September 2024, adjusted ward boundaries are being proposed and are available for public scrutiny.
Maitland City Council group manager strategy performance and business systems Leah Flint says it is important residents have their say.
“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,” she said.
“Our experts have thoughtfully designed the proposed adjustments to achieve a more balanced distribution of voters per ward.”
Proposed ward boundary changes have taken into consideration geographic features such as water courses, roads, railway lines and communities of interest aligning with the city’s changing demographics.
The alterations are designed in consultation with the NSW Electoral Commission and the Australian Statistician.
Additionally, council proposes a simplified naming structure to offer greater clarity and geographical relevance to the 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,” Ms Flint said.
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,” Ms Flint added.
Staff will review all submissions received during the public exhibition period and refer any appropriate variations to council for consideration.
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