$40,000 pledged for shared services study

Hawke's Bay Regional Council has chosen to support a study into efficiency.

At a packed council meeting yesterday, attended by Napier City and Hastings District councillors and a full gallery of leading Hawke's Bay business people, it agreed to contribute $40,000 towards a study into the role of local government in the region.

The councillors want possibilities of inter-regional council collaboration and future partnerships among government sectors investigated, as well as diversification opportunities for the province's economy.

Council chairman Fenton Wilson said it was a sensible and pragmatic approach. It was not about amalgamation but an opportunity for the ratepayers and the wider Hawke's Bay to benefit.

He said a push would be made to explore relationships outside the region where shared services were concerned, which gave the regional council an opportunity to leverage.

Looking outside Hawke's Bay had great benefits, with potential gains in roading services and planning, shared IT and pest control as some examples, Mr Wilson said.

Hawke's Bay mayors have been split over the amalgamation debate, with Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule pushing for an amalgamation of councils and Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott standing firmly in opposition.

A recent drive by business leaders for an independent study on the region's performance increased pressure for the regional council to agree to the study.

An assessment would also be made into what role local government played in enabling socio-economic development or impeding it, and what changes were necessary to better the Hawke's Bay economy.

Councillor Neil Kirton moved an amendment to include the structure of local government in the study.

"Any move forward in terms of its social and economic development must include consideration of the way local government is structured," he said.