Lee rallies troops over boundaries

A fight against planned Super City boundary changes begins tomorrow with a promise the proposal will be fought "tooth and nail to the bitter end".

Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee has called an emergency meeting at which he expects to get unanimous support for a resolution calling on the Government to stop its plan to divide the Rodney and Franklin districts.

Under the plan, Rodney would be split in two. Whangaparaoa and Orewa would stay in the Super City and Waiwera north would merge with the Kaipara District.

Franklin would be split between Auckland and Waikato.

Mr Lee said the changes were irrational and a disgrace that would make Auckland dysfunctional, rather than creating better local government.

"They do not create better local government, which is the whole reason we're doing this - rather than making it 'super' it diminishes it."

Greater Auckland was more than just the down town area and suburbs.

He expected support from across the political spectrum.

Mr Lee said regional councillors were not going to "sit on their hands" on the issue and promised action in what would be the last year of the ARC's existence.

"We can't let this lie."

Details of the resolution were still being discussed, but after the meeting every councillor would sign a letter to be given to Local Government Minister Rodney Hide and Prime Minister John Key.

They would then hold a news conference in a rare show of unity on a single issue.

Mr Lee said the Government appeared to be listening to local concerns, but he warned that if it proceeded with the changes a petition would be started.

He didn't have a problem with politicians in Wellington making the decisions, "as long as they're rational decisions".

There would be no problem getting signatures for the petition because people in the north and south were preparing for a fight.

"We believe the people support this, that's why we're doing this.

"I have to say the feelings of my members are running pretty high."

Even National Party members were furious, he said.

"We'll fight this tooth and nail to the bitter end, and the Government will have to deal with a petition to redress the boundaries."

Community leaders from Rodney and Franklin areas affected by the boundary changes would be at the meeting, although Mr Lee wouldn't say exactly who from those communities would be present.

The meeting begins at 9.30am and is open to the public.