We are that community.
I've been to a couple of meetings about the proposed amalgamation, studied the report, read the countless arguments for and against that this paper has published and have come to my own view.
I'm not a member of A Better Hawke's Bay and know of only a couple of their members. Nor am I a current or past local body politician.
I would agree with this paper's headline that Laurence Yule is the odd man out.
He has been the one mayor to put forward a coherent and logical argument in favour of this proposed amalgamation and retained his dignity whilst doing it.
After much thought, I agree with him.
However, I don't believe it is the panacea of all of the difficulties we face in this region nor the most elegant solution - but it remains a far better option for all of us than doing nothing and accepting the status quo which is a failing and struggling model.
I would have preferred to have seen the regional council and activities remain outside this merger.
But here is the rub; if the proposal is successful with this referendum we are currently undertaking, then it is essential we nominate, support and vote for the best people from within our region to make sure a combined Hawke's Bay Council represents the interests of all people in the area and ensures our environment is protected for future generations.
One would hope and expect that an amalgamated council would attract high-calibre, talented and passionate leaders who may not necessarily have been attracted to the existing local bodies.
I mean no disrespect to those who currently fill these roles. They have been prepared to put their names forward and stand in elections where many of us have not. On the whole, it is a thankless task.
Imagine a combined purposeful council populated with smart people determined to lift the whole of Hawke's Bay in a unified display of building a better, more harmonious and robust region.
United we stand, divided we fall is a phrase coined by Aesop the Greek 2500 years ago.
It was re-emphasised in the New Testament, was a battle cry in the formation of the United States and equally applies to all of us here in Hawke's Bay.
I've voted in favour of amalgamation and urge those of you yet to vote to do so and vote yes to making this part of New Zealand a region that is vibrant and prosperous and that the rest of the country will envy.
-Steve Wyn-Harris is a Takapau sheep and beef farmer. He has been a weekly national rural columnist for 20 years, is a broadcaster, has served on the boards of Landcorp and Farmlands and been awarded several farming titles including Hawke's Bay Farmer of the Year and the inaugural East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Award.
-Business and civic leaders, organisers, experts in their field and interest groups can contribute opinions. The views expressed here are the writer's personal opinion, and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz.
-Viewpoints on the amalgamation debate can be submitted for consideration and will be used as long as no council resources, money, time or expertise are used in their preparation. This is a requirement of the Local Government Act 2002.
