Mayors Left Stunned By Government’s Council Amalgamation U-Turn

Ellen
O’Dwyer Senior Reporter

Mayors
say a decision
to delay amalgamation was completely unexpected, and
leaves plans – some discussed for years – contingent on an
election.

Wellington’s mayor is pointing to a lack of
support inside government as the reason for the U-turn – but
the local government minister has rejected this.

In
May, the Government gave councils a three
month deadline to submit plans to simplify and reform,
known as Head Start proposals, or it would make plans for
them.

But that’s changed – with the local government
minister deferring decisions until after the
election.

Wellington mayor Andrew Little blamed a lack
of support around the Cabinet table.

“They clearly
didn’t have the numbers to enact reform, so consequently
after all the effort that local government has put into it,
we don’t have reform.”

That
was put to Local Government Minister Simon Watts on
Checkpoint.

“No, look I do my job, and I’m part
of a government that thinks about fixing the basics and
building the future, and I want to build
a future that’s enduring.”

Watts said the decision
was made after Cabinet on Monday.

Porirua mayor Anita
Baker said the decision came completely out of the blue, and
there was no hint of change at a zoom meeting she attended
with Local Government New Zealand and the minister on
Monday.

“At no point did we get an indication they
would be cowards and not step up to this, and push it to the
… election, well how do we know they are even going to be
there?”

Watts said this local government reform was
the most significant in decades, and it couldn’t be
rushed.

“I don’t think it’s sensible … that the New
Zealand public would expect the government to rush a
decision, we’ve got to get this right.”

Watts said all
18 Head Start proposals had gaps – including about financial
details, representation issues, and none had unanimous
support across regions.

Baker said she’d been
discussing amalgamation in Wellington for 16 years and was
deeply frustrated it had been put off again.

Marlborough
District Council’s deputy mayor David Croad said he was
relieved the council had more time to consider amalgamating
with Kaikōura District Council.

Councils already had
a high workload dealing with challenges like extreme
weather, he said.

“[Local government reform] should be
well thought out, it should be well structured, and for me
frankly the government needs to respect local government and
the role that they play and the challenges we have all round
in that decision making.”

In Waitaki – where residents
are facing a 16.9 percent rates rise – mayor Mel Tavendale
said she desperately wanted to cut the costs of duplication
from straddling both the Canterbury and Otago regional
councils.

“There’s still so much in the way coming
down the barrel at councils, and for us being across two
regions we’re just getting some of it doubly.

“It’s
just not sustainable – it has me really
concerned.”

Watts said officials would continue to
work through Head Start proposals through the election
campaign and none of the time or money spent was
wasted.

But Labour leader Chris Hipkins said it was a
“false start”, adding he would support amalgamation
proposals that had support from the community, but that
forcing through proposals had caused
“chaos”.

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