The Māori seat of Te Tai Tonga has lost part of its northern boundary to Ikaroa-Rāwhiti in the latest electoral boundary restructuring ahead of the 2026 elections.
The Representation Commission, overseeing the changes, announced the proposed restructuring on Tuesday. The makeup of boundaries is based on the 2023 census.
Māori electorates must have 74,367 voters, general seats in the North Island require 69,875, and those in the South Island need 70,037. All seats must be within 5% of the quota.
Based on the 2023 census, Ikaroa-Rāwhiti lost 3,300 voters.
To compensate, it will gain voters from Whanganui-a-Tara at the southern end of Te Awakairangi – Hutt City, including Epuni, Boulcott, Pito-One (Petone), and Moera. To balance this shift, Te Tai Tonga will now include Muritai on the eastern border of Pōneke (Wellington).
Takuta Ferris is the MP for Te Pāti Māori, while Cushla Tangaere-Manuel holds the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat for Labour.
The lower North Island and Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) will see the most significant boundary changes in this review.
Several boundaries from Pōneke-Wellington northwards are being reconfigured. Kenepuru will absorb parts of Ōhāriu and southern Mana, while Kāpiti will take in Ōtaki and the northern end of Mana.
This means there will be one less electoral seat in the North Island.
Changes in Tāmaki Makaurau are driven by significant population growth in the north and south.
In Waitākere (West Auckland), the electorates of New Lynn, Kelston, and Te Atatū will be adjusted into new electorates with proposed names: Waitākere, Glendene, and Rānui.
In southeast Auckland, the boundaries of Panmure-Ōtāhuhu will move further south, and the electorate will be renamed Ōtāhuhu.
The Bay of Plenty is another region affected by change. The Tauranga and Bay of Plenty electorates will be reconfigured, with Tauranga covering the western part and Bay of Plenty shifting east.
The Bay of Plenty electorate will be renamed Mt Maunganui to better reflect its new boundaries.
The proposed changes will be open for public feedback in July.
The Representation Commission will then present the final boundary changes to Parliament in August, ready for implementation in the 2026 general election.
