Recent survey shows only 20% of Napier residents are for amalgamation



The Napier City Council recently received the results from a National Research Bureau survey and here is what Napier Mayor Bill Dalton had to say:

The results from the Napier City Council, National Research Bureau survey have just been received. As is always the case there were some expected results and some surprises.

The one thing we expected and were delighted to see was that most people are generally satisfied with the service they get from the Napier City Council. They are generally satisfied with the way we look after the city and that they get value for their rates.

Of course there were some gripes and the hardy annual popped up again – parking. There is a perception in Napier that our CBD is underdone in terms of car parks. I disagree with this notion and strongly believe the perception has developed because people still want to park directly outside the premises they want to visit. Time and time again at busy times in the city I go for a walk to have a look at the parking situation. And I find plenty of vacant parks. The large car park in lower Dickens Street is often under used and there are generally plenty of parks on the Marine Parade. Frankly I am unconvinced that parking is a major problem in the CBD.

I was surprised and delighted that 95% of those surveyed were fully aware that there was a proposal to amalgamate all our local councils. 95% is an incredibly high awareness figure and I hope it translates into a huge turn-out when it comes to petition and poll time.

I was not surprised at other figures around the amalgamation issue. Just 20% of those surveyed were in favour of amalgamation. 68% were against and 12% didn't know or didn't care.

If ever the Local Government Commission needed a clear indication of the feelings of the people of Napier, then this was it. 68% of the residents surveyed are against the proposal to amalgamate all our councils.

During the general election campaign, the National government has said time and time again that amalgamation will not be forced on anyone. I ask you how that can possibly be true?

Napier is a town of 58,000 people who have a right to determine their own local governance future. The National government has taken that right away by cleverly changing the rules so that the people of Napier alone can no longer determine that future. The National government has decided that in any vote taken to determine Napier's future, the people of Hastings will have an equal say, as will the people of Wairoa and Central Hawkes Bay. And the 72,000 people in Hastings will favour amalgamation for very obvious reasons. So much for not forcing amalgamation on the people of Napier.

Thankfully, despite the National government's attempt to subvert democracy, the tide has turned. People from Wairoa to Waipukurau – people of all political persuasions – are now telling me they see no point in amalgamating our councils.

Importantly I am getting businessmen from across the Bay coming to me and saying "all we wanted to do was to wake Hawkes Bay up from its slumber. We've done that and we now believe that the amalgamation process would simply be disruptive and counter productive."

The sooner we put the whole amalgamation saga behind us the better. There is already so much happening and there is so much more we can do to get Hawkes Bay really pumping.

We just need to concentrate on the job at hand and put the divisions the amalgamation debate has caused behind us.

This is an opinion piece taken from Napier Mayor Bill Daltons' blog www.dalton.net.nz