Last week's round of public meetings on the future of our local councils drew a good turnout from the public in Wairarapa.
I was surprised and pleased to hear the high numbers attending, which shows people were making an effort to keep themselves informed about the changes ahead for local governance.
Was it a good "consultation" though?
Some of the feedback I've heard suggested it was more of a show-and-tell of what local council representatives have already decided is best for us, rather than an opportunity for them to garner any meaningful feedback.
There were no alternatives presented, no other options to consider against the councils' preferred scheme, and no hard data on what the impact would be on rates.