Merger process a ‘farce’ says Wairoa mayor.

Wairoa mayor Craig Little

Merger process ‘farce’

FORCED amalgamation into a single Hawke’s Bay council would be the death of Wairoa, says the town’s mayor Craig Little.

The Local Government Commission yesterday announced its preferred option to merge the region’s five councils into a single authority. Creating one council could save the region up to $10 million a year, the proposal says.

A new Hawke’s Bay Council would replace Napier City, Wairoa, Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay district councils, along with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. It would also include a small area of Rangitikei District.

Mr Little said the commission decision was "totally predictable" and the whole process a "farce".

To say there was consultation was far- fetched.

"Meetings were advertised in the paper not far before and a lot of people in Wairoa do not get their paper until the day after."

The commission had not considered  any arguments against the proposal.

"They have not listened - this will be the death knell for Wairoa."

Instead of two representatives as promised, in the proposal Wairoa would get one.

Three of the district’s mayors, Mr Little, Napier’s Bill Dalton and Central HB’s Peter Butler are aligned and enjoyed a "wonderful relationship,"  Mr Little said.

Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule is on his own in supporting the proposal.

The mayors had been elected on their stance about the merger, said Mr Little.

Wairoa would be a small fish in a big pool and it would be more difficult to get what the region needed with such a small representation.

Mr Little said the concept had been effectively pushed along by the Government, which directed and paid the Local Government Commission.

Opotiki mayor John Forbes, the chairman of Local Government New Zealand rural sector, is adamantly opposed.

Membership of the rural part of the group involves more than 50 of the total 78 local authorities.

"Our main concern is the rural communities - the Opotikis and Wairoas of this world with all the primary production that underpins the national economy."

Mr Forbes believes amalgamation is completely wrong for a number of reasons.

"It will cost ratepayers more money. As organisations get bigger they get more expensive."

The Auckland council had more staff than the population of Opotiki. More tiers of management created more cost.

"Aucklanders thought their rates would go down with one council, but if you ring any Aucklander in the phone book I think you will find they have not."

Mr Forbes said it was not necessary to merge to get benefits.

Opotiki worked with Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Whakatane and Gisborne councils for different reasons.

"Local government invests in stuff that lasts hundreds of years. There are $200 million of assets in roads and it is the local communities that live there that are best placed to look after these - not somebody who lives 100 kilometres away. It’s bullshit."

In the case of Auckland, where there were four big cities with similar relationships, a merger was more suitable. There was almost a philosophy of "bigger is better", he said.

Wellington did not understand local rural problems, he said.

Local government had 44,000 jobs and looked after $120 billion-worth of infrastructure.

"The Government underestimates the abilities of these bodies," he said.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chairman, Wairoa’s Fenton Wilson foresees issues with Maori and the natural resource component. The HBRC had been tasked with enhancing and protecting these.

"This component has been left out of the proposal. There needs to be robust discussion around how to manage biodiversity, and how the region can continue to prioritise and make it a great place to live and farm the land."

East Coast MP Anne Tolley said she had concerns for small areas like Wairoa and Central Hawke’s Bay, which would be "swamped by a big unitary council".

The outcome of elections, where mayors like Bill Dalton of Napier stood strongly against amalgamation, made it clear people were not looking for big sweeping change, she said.

"It has all happened far too quickly. There needs to be baby steps."

There was all sorts of backroom administration that could be done between councils without merging.

She hoped the next processes were robust.

Gisborne District Council became a unitary council 24 years ago.

Mayor Meng Foon says having one plan and one set of rules works fine but it is difficult to service such a large area.

"Local Government needs to put local first and we must do the best for our community first."