Botany Downs, New Zealand

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Botany Downs
Local Authority	Manukau City
Characteristics:
Population	4,701 ^{(data: 2001)}
Surrounded by:
North	Howick
North-east	Howick
East	Somerville
South-east	Northpark
South	Cumbria Downs
South-west	Golflands
West	Pakuranga Heights, Pakuranga North
North-west	Highland Park

Botany Downs is a suburb of Manukau City, New Zealand. According to the 2001 census, Botany Downs has a population of 4701. It is however growing rapidly, with one of the country's biggest shopping malls - Botany Town Centre - attracting people from all over the greater Auckland Area.^{[citation needed]}

Schools in the area include Botany Downs Primary School, Botany Downs Secondary College and Point View Primary School.

[edit] Botany Electorate

Due to its population growth, Botany Downs is the centre of New Zealand's sixty-third and newest general electorate. The electorate, named Botany, will take effect from the 2008 general election. Originally proposed as Howick, the new seat was renamed after redrawing of the draft boundaries.

The Botany electorate is comprised of approximately 33% Asians. Because of this, both major political parties are expected to field an Asian candidate for the seat in 2008. National MP Pansy Wong indicated early her intention to seek the nomination for Botany, and she has subsequently won preselection to pursue the seat for National in the 2008 general election. Although media reports had floated the possibility of lawyer Raymond Huo seeking the nomination for Labour, the party fielded unionist Brendan Sheehan [1] who was confident of defeating National's Wong. However, Sheehan withdrew his nomination due to a family illness, and the Labour nomination is open again. [2]

National Party MP Judith Collins, whose current seat of Clevedon incorporates the population centres which the new seat will hold in 2008, has indicated her intention to seek the National Party nomination for the neighbouring seat of Papakura, which comprises the remainder of the population centres within her current Clevedon seat.