Rodney shies away from bright lights

Rodney District Council wants to look after its area itself. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Take a drive on the Northern Motorway at night, past the bright lights of Albany and the North Harbour Stadium.

When you reach the Lonely Track Rd bridge, there are no lights - and you are at the entrance to Rodney, a district of rural and coastal townships, west of the Kaipara Harbour and north to Wellsford.

That was the picture painted by Rodney District Council Deputy Mayor John Kirikiri and other councillors as they tried to convince MPs that Rodney should be excluded from the Super City and become a unitary council, looking after all local government functions in its area.

The breakaway view was shared by other groups and individuals in Rodney, which accounts for 45 per cent of land in the Auckland area but only 7 per cent of the population.

"We feel dead scared of being swamped by Auckland," said Puhoi resident Werner Fischer.

The Government has gone with a recommendation from the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance for Rodney and Franklin district councils to be part of the Super City, despite protests from the National Party strongholds.

Rodney councillor Suzanne Weld told National MPs on the Auckland governance select committee at Friday's hearing that National's share of the vote in Prime Minister John Key's Helensville seat was 64 per cent, and in Speaker Lockwood Smith's Rodney seat, 59 per cent.

The committee is in Auckland listening to about 800 submissions on the Government's plan to abolish the region's eight councils and replace them with a single Auckland Council and 20 to 30 community boards.

Suzanne Weld said a Colmar Brunton survey of 1200 Rodney residents in June found 70.3 per cent of residents opposed being part of the Super Auckland Council.

There was little confidence locally for the proposal to have one councillor for Rodney on the 20-member Auckland Council, she said.

Having one Rodney councillor on the Auckland Regional Council had resulted in little action on issues such as wastewater pollution to Muriwai beach, improved roading access to Tawharanui Regional Park and management of Kaipara Harbour.

Rodney councillors also maintained there would be financial benefits from becoming a standalone authority.

Mr Kirikiri said the council would save $4 million alone from taking on the functions of the regional council and councillor Mike Goudie said, " ... we would be able to deliver and ensure a simplified planning process, a focus on infrastructure and being responsive to our local communities."

Councillor Greville Walker did not support going it alone, saying that with the exception of the northern ward, Rodney was a perfect fit with the aspirations of the Auckland Council.

Mr Walker said Rodney's urban Hibiscus Coast and Helensville areas were prescribed growth areas for Auckland.

He said the results of the Colmar Brunton survey should be "totally discredited" because of the poll's misleading questions.

One question asked residents if they would like to be part of the Auckland Super City with higher service levels and higher rates, or remain in Rodney with the current level of services and lower rates.

Colin Binsted, of Rainbows End and Rivers Environmental Group, said the Auckland Council should have as much rural and coastal land under its control as possible.

This would help to prevent "loot and scoot" - developers buying up rural and coastal land, subdividing it, pocketing profits and disappearing.