Western Bay of Plenty District Council votes against councillor's motion to quit Local Government NZ

Mayor Garry Webber and Councillor Margaret Murray-Benge. Photo / Andrew Warner

A councillor's bid to have a council quit Local Government New Zealand has been rejected.

Councillor Margaret Murray-Benge's motion at yesterday's Western Bay of Plenty District Council meeting was defeated by eight votes to four.

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is an advocacy organisation representing the national interests of the country's councils and is mainly funded by their membership fees.

Speaking to her motion yesterday, Murray-Benge slammed LGNZ for, in her view, supporting the proposed Three Waters reforms, describing it as "the biggest asset grab local government has experienced for many decades, perhaps ever".

"We councillors have never received so many emails from local ratepayers as we have on the Three Waters proposal, and those emails have been overwhelmingly opposed to the Government's proposal.

"But here in the Western Bay, we have left it to other councils to do the hard work of opposing the Government's scheme."

She said councils had relied on LGNZ to "do its homework" on the reforms but said in her view it had "failed to do so".

Public forum speakers also criticised LGNZ. Jenny Hobbes described it as "an expensive layer of bureaucracy that cannot be trusted" and said councils could "save money and do a better job" by leaving.

Councillor Margaret Murray-Benge. Photo / George Novak

"How have we benefited from the membership paid to LGNZ from our rates?"

Hobbes urged the council to be "bold" and a "strong influencer" in defunding LGNZ by sending a message to staff and the next elected council that it did not agree with what she described as LGNZ "signing us up" for the Three Waters reforms.

"Stand on the right side of history."

Tracey Coxhead said the reforms were the most significant and divisive issue ever faced by councils.

"Open debate is essential and must be encouraged."

Coxhead said she believed LGNZ no longer represented the views and concerns of ratepayers.

Councillor Allan Sole said leaving LGNZ would be "a big loss" due to the "many services" it offered but still supported the motion.

Sole said he did not believe LGNZ represented "our concerns".

"We can't continue to be complicit with their actions."

Councillor Allan Sole. Photo / George Novak

Councillor Kevin Marsh said he thought LGNZ was "backing the Government, 100 per cent" on Three Waters, and he believed most people in New Zealand were not in support.

"Why do we not listen to our ratepayers? I would hope our present councillors will listen to what the ratepayers are telling them."

Councillor Don Thwaites agreed with the concerns but said the motion was not about Three Waters.

"This is about our membership of Local Government New Zealand."

Thwaites said he was separating his opposition to Three Waters - reforms he believed would will "fall to bits" - in his vote.

"We must stay within the tent [of LGNZ], and we must drive change from within the tent."

Councillor Murray Grainger said he believed LGNZ had not served councils well and there was a strong message of "dissatisfaction" with its performance to date.

Councillor Don Thwaites. Photo / John Borren

"We want to see some real leadership when it comes to the reform of local government."

However, he said it would be wrong for a soon-to-be outgoing council to bind future councils on whether they were a member of LGNZ.

He said the incoming council should consider the issue themselves.

Councillor Mark Dean said it was better to be within an organisation to facilitate change because it allowed access to information others did not get.

"We don't really have a right to vote on something that is going to put a covenant on the future council coming in."

In his view, the motion was not about LGNZ, it was about Three Waters.

"I think that is wrong."

Western Bay of Plenty mayor Garry Webber said withdrawing from LGNZ was not only the wrong thing to do but it was not the right time to do it.

"The new council will decide whether it wants to be a member or not.

"This late in the day to do this, I won't say it bordered on political grandstanding, but it's just, in my opinion, not the right thing to do."

Mayor Garry Webber. Photo / George Novak

Councillor Monique Gray said she believed LGNZ had done its part to represent the council and speak for its wellbeings.

In response, Murray-Benge said never in her years of experience in local government had she endured such a "weak response" from a council that "won't make a decision".

"I get sick and tired of this argument that if we sit inside the tent we'll do better – well I have to tell you mates, we haven't done better. We have been neglected.

"It isn't to do about Three Waters, it isn't to do about anything else – it's to do about [LGNZ's] poor performance."

Murray-Benge said the incoming council could decide if it wanted to rejoin the organisation.

"If you really represent the people of the Western Bay of Plenty ... actually stand up for them.

"You can duck back and not do anything ... or else you can stand up and tell [LGNZ] that ... there is a local authority that is not satisfied with [its] performance."

On its website, LGNZ says it is non-partisan and that it fought hard to get a better deal for councils in Three Waters reforms the Government was determined to enact.

It said it pushed back against the reforms becoming mandatory.

How they voted

Councillors Anne Henry, Murray-Benge, Sole and Marsh voted for the motion.

Councillors Grainger, Dean, Thwaites, Gray, James Denyer, Grant Dally, deputy mayor John Scrimgeour and mayor Webber voted against.