17Ward boundary review

17 Ward boundary review S. 17(1) amended by No. 30/2022 s. 30. (1) This section applies if the Minister receives advice from the VEC that the number of voters per Councillor in one or more wards of the municipal district of the Council will vary from the average number of voters per Councillor for all of the wards by more than 10 per cent by the time that the next general election is to be held. (2) If this section applies, the Minister may request the VEC to— (a) conduct a review of the boundaries of the wards of the municipal district of the Council specified in the request; and (b) provide a report to the Minister containing recommendations in respect of any changes required to the boundaries of the wards of the municipal district of the Council specified in the request. (3) Subject to this section, the VEC may conduct the review in any manner that the VEC considers appropriate. (4) In conducting the review, the VEC must ensure that a process of community engagement is followed. (5) The VEC may send to the Council in respect of which the review is being conducted an account of the reasonable expenses incurred as a consequence of the review. (6) The Council must pay the account received under subsection (5). (7) The Minister may recommend to the Governor in Council that an Order in Council be made under section 15 to implement the recommendations made in the report under subsection (2). (8) Despite the repeal of section 5B(2) of the **Local Government Act 1989**, that section continues to apply in respect of the making of any Order in Council to which subsection (7) applies before the first general election to be conducted under section 257(1)(a).