Rodney's bid for freedom from the new Auckland Super City has been delayed for three weeks.
A "local bill" supporting Rodney District Council's bid to establish a new unitary council was introduced to Parliament by Labour MP Darien Fenton on June 17 and was expected to have its first reading last
Wednesday.
However, the bill's progress was delayed by the Government's cancellation of "Members' Day" due to the urgency of the current legislation workload.
Members' Days deal with matters of public policy introduced by MPs who are not ministers, local bills initiated on behalf of local authorities affecting a particular locality, and private bills, which relate to private individuals or organisations. Rodney Council strategy manager Rory Palmer said the bill was now scheduled to be heard on July 21.
He said Members' Days were usually held every second Wednesday but because Parliament would go into recess for the school holidays the date had been pushed out an additional week.
Mr Palmer said the bill had the support of the majority of Rodney residents.
Should the bill fail, Kaipara District Council could also consider initiating a local bill in support of Rodney's Northern Ward residents who, while not adverse to a unitary authority, would prefer to join with Kaipara.
Last week Kaipara Mayor Neil Tiller said the Kaipara council had yet to lobby politicians to gauge support for a Kaipara bill but it was still being considered.
Kaipara wants to join with North Rodney district - the mostly rural area of about 22,000 people, including Warkworth and Wellsford - which generally supports the merger.
But North Rodney has been included as part of the Auckland Super City reforms.
Kaipara wanted the entire Kaipara Harbour to come under one authority.
This option would appear to be supported by the 2002 Local Government Act, which suggests the boundaries of a region should be set where practicable to conform with natural catchments.
The Kaipara District Council pulled out of the process of local government reform in Northland - and a push by the Whangarei and Far North District Councils for one or two unitary authorities to cover the region - to pursue the merger with North Rodney.
