Two-tier model favoured

Wairarapa's farmers are keeping a close eye on the local government amalgamation debate, determined to ensure any decision is in the best interests of the district.

This week advocates for a Wellington Super City incorporating Wairarapa and those promoting a go-it-alone Wairarapa Unitary Authority spoke to the annual meeting of Wairarapa Federated Farmers.

In the Super City corner were Fran Wilde and Ken Douglas and promoting the Wairarapa Unitary Authority was Lyn Patterson, who chairs the Wairarapa Governance Review Working Party.

Ms Wilde told the meeting it was "not about today, not about the next 10 years but what will be happening in the next 30 years."

She said the trend showed in Wairarapa there would be more people on fixed incomes, less young people and "especially less working-age people" bringing about an increasingly ageing population that would have to face economic challenges.

These included jobs, sustaining a rural economy and the affordability of a community infrastructure.

The Wellington Regional Governance Review proposal promotes a two-tier model with the first tier consisting of a single mayor for the amalgamated area and a governing council of either 19 or 21 councillors elected by ward, with two Wairarapa representatives.

The second tier would be made up of local boards including one Wairarapa board and all facets of the two-tier arrangement would share a single administration.

Ms Wilde said the governing body would be able to focus on infrastructure projects such as the Wairarapa Water Use Project and a Wellington Airport runway extension.

She said in any event the Local Government Commission was the "final decider"on any amalgamation outcome.

"They make the decision, not us and there's a long way to go yet," Ms Wilde said.

Mrs Patterson said all three Wairarapa district councils had already voted to support a Wairarapa Unitary Authority.

She said the Martin Jenkins Assessment had shown a unitary authority was financially viable "not only in the short term but also long term".

"It is strategically and financially viable and it comes down to Wairarapa people making decisions for Wairarapa.

"For us it is about local democracy. We are a rural/provincial area.

"We are not metropolitan and we can paddle our own waka."

Under a unitary authority there would be a Wairarapa mayor and 12 councillors with five being Masterton urban, two rural, two Carterton and one each from Greytown, Featherston and Martinborough.

There would also be five community boards representing each town, including Masterton.

Mrs Patterson said subsidies for irrigation, roading and transport would continue, as would regional services.

She said a unitary authority would mean a "100 per cent focus within Wairarapa boundaries."

Wairarapa Federated Farmers president Jamie Falloon said no vote was taken on the local government issue at the annual meeting but that the farmers were "definitely leaning" towards the two-tier model put forward by Ms Wilde as the better option.

He said the Wairarapa Unitary Authority option remained "very deficient in information" and appeared to be based simply on the premise local control was better than anything else.

Mr Falloon said it had been a good opportunity, nevertheless, for farmers to hear from both sides and would help to reach a decision he described as being "hugely important for Wairarapa".