Representation Review     Overview The Local Electoral Act 2001 requires all local authorities to review their representation arrangements at least once every six years. This process is called the Representation Review. The Representation Review requires the Council to determine whether its Councillors are to be elected under the 'ward' or the 'at large' (district-wide) electoral system or a combination of the two. The Review also decides the number of Councillors to be elected. As part of the Review the Council is also required to consider whether to have community boards. 2006 Review The Council undertook a representation review in 2006, in time for the 2007 local authority elections.  The status quo of seven urban councillors and three rural councillors was not permitted. Legislation requires that the population each Councillor represents is within the range of (plus or minus) 10% of the average population-per-member across the whole city. The results of the review, determined by the Local Government Commission, come into force at the 2007 elections. The following changes were made as a result of the review: ▪ Provision for voting for five at-large representatives was introduced ▪ The Urban Ward was reduced to four representatives ▪ The Rural Ward was reduced to one representative