Amalgamation debate heats up

Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule is the "odd man out" in the amalgamation debate.

An anti-amalgamation mayor is calling for Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule to step down if voters come out against merging the region's five councils.

Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Peter Butler has said he would ask Mr Yule to resign as he was the odd man out among the rest of the mayors who were against it.

"The rest of us get on famously - we could make the whole of Hawke's Bay ping but he is the odd man out," Mr Butler said.

But Mr Yule said that suggestions he resign if voters decided they did not want amalgamation would not go anywhere.

"I was elected by the people of Hastings and I am not going to resign - I will work for Hastings," he said.

Mr Yule will state his position at Hawke's Bay Today's Great Amalgamation Debate tomorrow.

It will be a battle for six strong voices to put across their opinions, ideas and firm reasons for the cause they are representing - and the people of Hawke's Bay will have a selection of their questions answered as they make up their own minds of what is best for the region's local governmental future.

Like the dam meeting, the Great Amalgamation Debate has been put together by Hawke's Bay Today to give readers and the public an opportunity to hear the key players from both sides of the issue. The pro-amalgamation team is comprised of Mr Yule, Hawke's Bay Regional councillor Rick Barker and Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana.

The anti-amalgamation line-up is Napier Mayor Bill Dalton, MP for Napier Stuart Nash and Mike Butler from the Hastings Against Amalgamation group - with the local government politicians taking part in the debate doing so in their own capacity and not representing their councils.

Hawke's Bay Today editor Andrew Austin said the paper was determined to make information on amalgamation accessible for all.

"Public meetings are a good way for us to enable the public to connect with the issues facing our province," he said.

Mr Yule effectively summed up the Great Amalgamation Debate for his fellow debaters.

"I think this is a unique opportunity to hear some very articulate speakers on both sides - the voting papers go out in a week so this is a great way for people to hear both sides' perspective."

He said while he had several points that steered him down the path of supporting amalgamation, the main one was that "one is better than five".

The region would not move ahead with five councils and mayors.

He said there would be no loss of individual community feel and all would be represented and it would be beneficial financially.

He said he had confidence in the facts he possessed and the research he had done and was happy to debate the issue as well as "hear the other side".

One of his opponents in the amalgamation debate, Mike Butler, said he had no hesitation in stepping forward to give his view and say his piece.

"I am there only as a ratepayer and for me, the number one thing here is the structure of the proposal."

Mr Butler said there was "a lot more to this" than the three levels of a mayor, councillors and local boards which amalgamation would create.

He said people would be appointed to various commissions and boards and therefore could not be voted out.

"Which is an impediment to democracy - we are voting on proposals we don't know anything about."

The debate will kick off at 6.30pm at Napier Boys' High and a gold coin donation will be requested, with proceeds going to the Limitless Hope Emergency Shelter Appeal.

-Voting closes in the referendum on September 15.