Council Endorses Poll to Decide on Amalgamation

26 FEBRUARY, 2015

Council has come out strongly in favour of a poll of residents to decide on the Local Government Commission’s proposal to amalgamate the local bodies of the region into a single Greater Wellington Council – if the Commission produces a final proposal.

However at its meeting today, Council also recommended that the Commission should satisfy itself it has “demonstrable support” for its proposal from the communities across the region before moving to a final document.

Council also urged the Commission to hold hearings in Kāpiti – not only in Wellington as it had indicated.

Mayor Ross Church says among the benefits Council can see in amalgamation are linking regional infrastructure to regional planning; a better voice for the wider region, particularly on business and economic development matters; more efficient regulatory systems; and a reduction in compliance costs.

Disadvantages include the loss of local democracy and local voice; and the cost of change – where it is could be close to a decade before financial benefits outweigh the transition costs.

Council supported some key elements of the report such as • A two-tier Council structure (Council with Local Boards)

• The creation of wards with two representatives from the Kāpiti Coast Ward to be elected to the Council

• The creation of a Kāpiti Coast Local Board elected from ward subdivisions, i.e. Ōtaki, Waikanae, Paraparaumu, and Paekākāriki-Raumati

• Kāpiti Coast Councillors to be appointed back onto the Kāpiti Coast Local Board, ensuring strong linkage and accountability

• Provisions for Māori involvement

• Retention of area offices and service centres

• And that debt should not be ring-fenced to each current authority

Mayor Church says that although a new Council cannot be bound into adopting any existing policies of the Kāpiti Coast District Council, Kāpiti wants agreements and partnerships made with the Kāpiti community to be retained as far as possible – emphasising that it does not want water supply assets transferred to a Council-Controlled Organisation.

“At the same time, Council has corrected the public record where the LGC report has errors, particularly in the areas of the operating costs per capita (compared to operating costs per ratepayer) in Kāpiti and the condition of the district’s infrastructure assets,” he says.

Today’s decisions mean Council will finalise its submission and submit it to the Commission by the 2 March deadline.

The process from there will see the Commission hold public hearings where submitters can present their submissions. After that, the Commission can issue the draft as a final proposal, identify another “preferred option” or decide not to proceed further.

ends

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