Napier Mayor Bill Dalton questions the process of determining if a region should amalgamate

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton questions the process of determining if a region should amalgamate in a recent posting on his blog...

The Local Government Act clearly prescribes the following:

Before deciding to issue a final proposal, the Local Government Commission must be satisfied that the final proposal is likely to have demonstrable support in the district of each affected territorial authority.
Demonstrable support in the district of each affected territorial authority.
We all now know that a Hastings based organisation ran a survey across Hawke’s Bay and found that in Wairoa, 90% of the residents surveyed didn’t want a bar of amalgamation. I certainly have some issues with the survey but I think it does demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of the people in Wairoa are against amalgamation.

Frankly, if the Local Government Commission gets similar results that should be the end of the matter. The LGC would have no mandate to come out with a final proposal and the amalgamation debate should be mercifully put to bed.

But here’s the problem. The LGC whilst clearly doing the government’s bidding, are not subject to the usual checks and balances we expect from government and semi-government agencies. They don’t have to tell us what they are up to. They don’t have to tell us at what level they believe “demonstrable” support is achieved. Importantly they are not covered by the Official Information Act so we can’t even demand information.

The LGC alone – 3 people one of whom has not been part of the commission for the whole process – will decide if they are going to issue a final proposal. Those 3 people alone will decide what constitutes demonstrable support in each territorial authority. I think the process is all wrong. I think the whole process shows pre-determination and bias towards amalgamating our districts and cities.

The debacle with infrastructure reports in both Hawke’s Bay and Wellington highlights the LGC’s determination to achieve amalgamation at all costs. The report they produced on Hawke’s Bay is wrong in methodology and fact and the work they have produced in Wellington is worse. I can’t say what I really think of the Wellington situation because I can’t afford to be sued but suffice to say the truth will eventually prevail.

In Hawke’s Bay the pro-amalgamation lobby of which the LGC has become part, is determined to come up with a reason why HDC has significantly higher debt than the other TLA’s in Hawke’s Bay. I have said time and time again that debt is not the big issue in this debate, we should be talking governance, that’s the main issue. However by coming out with a totally erroneous report using methodology developed just for the occasion, the pro-amalgamationists have propelled debt into the forefront of peoples minds. To suggest that Napier is in good financial shape because we have failed to spend appropriately on infrastructure is a myth. It is simply not true. Even the ex NCC chair of finance who now calls himself Enid knows that. Napier is in good financial shape because overall it has acted prudently with ratepayers money.

I have no doubt the LGC will continue the charade we have been enduring now for years and we will see a final proposal. I believe we would see a final proposal if just one person in Wairoa demonstrated support for amalgamation. When we do see the final proposal we will have to undertake an electoral petition to demand that a binding poll be undertaken.

I have absolutely no doubt the people of Hawkes Bay will reject the final proposal. Only then can we get on, repair the damage this divisive debate has caused and work together to bring prosperity to the whole of Hawke’s Bay.

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton