Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Editorial: Have say in your council

By Craig Cooper & Mike Barrington
Northern Advocate·
13 Mar, 2013 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

If you want changes made to local government in Northland, then speak now or forever hold your peace.

The Far North District Council is already well down the legislative track in pursuing the right to become a single unitary authority.

In other words, self governing on all local matters, including those carried out by the Northland Regional Council.

If this went ahead, what would it mean for the NRC, the Whangarei District Council and the Kaipara District Council. One view is to simply amalgamate the three bodies in a single authority. And in some ways this makes sense, given the KDC current financial crisis and civic management woes. However, there are several options.


  • Retaining the status quo with the Northland Regional Council (NRC) and the Whangarei, Kaipara and Far North district councils.

  • Enhance the status quo with stronger collaboration between the present four councils.

  • Whangarei and Kaipara districts amalgamating, NRC and FNDC staying as they are.

  • One unitary authority - all Northland councils combining, as has happened in Auckland.

  • Two authorities, with one council covering the Far North, the other governing a combined Whangarei and Kaipara.

  • Three unitary authorities - NRC powers transferred to Whangarei, Kaipara and Far North.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Public meetings will be held at Forum North next Tuesday and Wednesday to obtain public input.

The LGC has given the WDC an April 15 deadline to apply for any changes.

The WDC is also looking at how it could improve "grassroots" representation through ratepayer groups or community boards.

WDC chief executive officer Mark Simpson says Maori representation is also an important issue, with options including Maori seats and committee structures.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After April 15, the LGC will determine its preferred option for Northland. If change is involved, then a draft proposal would be developed and publicly notified.

Public submissions on the draft would be considered and the commission would then decide whether a final proposal should be issued and notified. If a final proposal was issued, a poll on the proposal can be requested by 10 per cent of the electors in any one of the affected districts within 60 days.

If a poll is held, 50 per cent of those who vote in it must support the proposal to trigger change.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients

Northern Advocate

'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on

Opinion

Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs


Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients
Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients

Alan Bayly, Harry Carter, Bett Harvey and Darrell Trigg are this year's recipients.

05 Sep 11:00 PM
'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on
Northern Advocate

'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on

05 Sep 05:00 PM
Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs
Opinion

Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs

05 Sep 04:50 PM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP