27 March 2011

Wellington Super City: Call for a Referendum

The Greater Wellington Regional Council today agreed to the establishment of an independent review panel to review 3-4 options for the future governance of the Wellington Region. The options will include the status quo.

Councillor Daran Ponter said that he was “pleased that the full Council will now be making the decision on the make-up of the Pane and the Terms of Reference (the paper had originally proposed that this be delegated to the Chair and Deputy Chair).”

“I remain concerned that the Panel will struggle to maintain its independence. This could significantly undermine the provision of objective advice to the Council and subsequently to the Local Government Commission. My concern extends to the possibility that Greater Wellington Regional Council potentially providing advice and administrative services to the panel.”

“I supported the call for a referendum on the options that the Local Government Commission might finally consider. This is a huge deal for people in the Wellington Region and the final decision should be strongly guided by what residents and ratepayers want, whether they live in Wellington, Wairarapa or Kapiti.”

The recommendation for a referendum was supported by a majority of Councillors: Daran Ponter, Paul Bruce, Paul Swain, Gary McPhee, Jenny Brash, Nigel Wilson, Sandra Grieg and Peter Glensor

ENDS

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