4 December 2014

Greater Wellington Regional Council welcomes draft proposal

Chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council, Fran Wilde, today welcomed the proposal of the Local Government Commission to reform local government in Wellington.

“This is the booster shot we need to rejuvenate local democracy and revitalise the regional economy,” she said.

The Local Government Commission proposed a two tier model that creates a unitary council with the resources and capability to take on major regional challenges while at the same time protecting and strengthening local democracy through properly funded Local Boards. Ms Wilde said that it was close to the model that the Regional Council had formally proposed.

“People and businesses in the region thrive by being dynamic, resilient and outward looking - that’s how we should govern ourselves. The proposal reflects these values.”

Ms Wilde said the current system, with eight territorial councils and one regional council, often results in slow or muddled decision-making.

“Despite the best intentions, we’ve been held back by too many committees, too many reports, too much talk and not enough action. This is one of the reasons why it has taken us seven decades to get projects such as Transmission Gully up and running,” Ms Wilde said.

“As it now stands, some councils simply don’t have the resources, capability or scale to meet big challenges including building and maintaining world-class water infrastructure, major roading and public transport projects, as well as protecting the environment. We also need to ensure that the region as a whole is able to attract new jobs and investment, so we don’t get areas that are highly prosperous alongside others with real need.

“Contrary to fears that a bigger council will short-change smaller communities, this model strengthens local democracy by giving Boards legally binding powers to make local decisions, as well as the funding they will need.”

The Boards will take over the local delivery roles of current councils, while the Governing Body, elected from round the region, will take over regional delivery such as planning, infrastructure and economic development.

“The Boards are not at all like existing community boards, which are largely advisory”, Wilde said. “They will have real teeth and the ability to get things done in their communities. Their Chairs will have the same leadership role that mayors have currently.

“This is not a carbon copy of Auckland – these boards will have wider powers that will be protected from the time they are set up. All existing councils will be part of the committee that determines the details, unlike in Auckland where the former local government entitites were marginalised.

“At less than one-third of Auckland’s size, Wellington faces its own challenges – and we need solutions tailored to what makes us unique. Let’s not waste this opportunity to improve our own region by getting distracted by comparisons to Auckland, where they confuse values with property prices.”

The Local Government Commission report says: “We found there were many aspects of local government which had worked well till now. But we also recognised there are limitations, inadequacies and challenges. Perhaps most importantly, we identified strong factors which inter-connect the region and give it a common future goal. There is cause for change. We have proposed a structure of local government to best meet the needs of the people of the entire region over the next 30 years,”

“I encourage people to read the report and have a think about the long term implications for the region, then get involved by making a submission. All sides of this debate have called for referendum which is virtually certain to occur, despite opponents of change saying that it will not,” Fran Wilde said
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The Local Government Commission has initiated a consultation process, and interested parties are invited to submit their views to submisisons@lgc.govt.nz by Monday March 2nd 2015.

ENDS

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