LGC abandons unitary plan

ONE VOICE: Kaingaroa resident June Harding speaking to her submission to Local Government Commissioners Grant Kirby (left), Basil Morrison (chairman) and Anne Carter om Kaitaia more than a year ago.

The Local Government Commission has decided not to proceed with its draft proposals for single councils in Northland and Wellington. Instead it will return to both communities to work with them in seeking to develop other options to address the challenges they face.

"Different regions have different challenges and may require different responses to those challenges," Commission chairman Basil Morrison said.

"All three communities [including Hawke's Bay] have indicated some change in local government is needed to ensure regions can be more effective and efficient, and make decisions about what will be needed in future.

Commission chief executive Sandra Preston said there was little support for the major structural option proposed for Wellington but there was a widespread mood for some form of change. In Northland the councils had also made progress in identifying alternative ways to provide good local government since the draft proposal was released (in 2013), and the Commission hoped to work with the community in building on that momentum.

"There needs to be more emphasis on the role of communities identifying the challenges they face, the options that can address those challenges, and the development of more consensus on their preferred approach to change," Ms Preston said.

"Our goal will be to assist both communities to reach sufficient consensus on the changes required and the best form of local government."

As required under the Local Government Act, if that process resulted in new options for reform with community support the Commission would then prepare new draft proposals for wider consultation in Wellington and Northland.

Ms Preston said she would be meeting with key local government stakeholders in both regions.

In Northland the process had been initiated by the Far North District Council, which sought unitary authority status, but 90 per cent of submitters did not support the draft proposal, with strong opposition in the Whangarei District. Most opposed the proposal because of a preference for the status quo or an enhanced version of it.

There was concern that a single unitary authority would not provide for local decision-making, would be harder to administer, and potentially trigger an increased rates burden, while concern was also expressed about the loss of environmental regulatory checks and balances if regional functions were placed with the same organisation that delivered services. A minority supported the proposal because it would streamline decision-making and provide a more effective basis for economic development in the region.

Some submitters indicated support for smaller-scale mergers, transferring functions or developing a shared service arrangement between the existing councils, while all the existing councils in the region recognised the need for improvements in both strategic decision-making and the delivery of services.

-Shepherd - Months of uncertainty is over: page 2.