Central NI councils left in limbo

The Taupō District was central to the amalgamation plans of neighbouring councils.

Taupō District Council’s decision not to submit an amalgamation proposal has had a knock-on effect for other councils in the wider area.

By Bronson Perich - Local Democracy Reporter

Elected members voted for the move at the council meeting on July 28, after council staff prepared a list of 10 recommendations, including pushing back on the Government’s reforms by not submitting a Head Start proposal.

Seven councillors voted in favour of adopting the staff recommendations, and six voted against.

This means that Taupō is likely going to be dealt with through the “Back Stop” process, whereby the Government decides how amalgamation will occur, but details of what this would look like are yet to be revealed.

Instead of submitting an amalgamation proposal, Taupō District Council will write a letter to the Government, outlining its concerns about the timing and process of the reform and the reasons for not submitting a proposal.

However, one councillor said this might not be enough and suggested stronger protest action.

The vote comes after RMA Minister Chris Bishop and Local Government Minister Simon Watts set councils an ultimatum in May: “Lead your own reform or we will do it for you.”

Councils were given until August 9 to tell the ministers what their preferred reform options are.

Elected members

Taupō Ward councillor Steve Manunui said at the council meeting on Tuesday that the evidence clearly showed that Taupō was in a no-win scenario.

He acknowledged the recommendation from staff to push back on the Government’s reform had not been made lightly.

“Importantly, the analysis has properly tested a broad range of options,” Manunui said.

“And this has made it easier to stand options up ... rather than simply defaulting to opposition.”

Manunui was one of the seven who voted in favour of adopting the staff recommendations.

Tūrangi Ward councillor Sandra Greenslade was among the six people who voted against this.

She said there wasn’t enough information on what pushing back would mean for the region.

‘Ain’t nobody know radical like us’

Te Papamārearea ward councillor Wahine Murch, like Greenslade, voted against the proposal.

However, Murch said that writing a letter to express concern was not enough.

“If this council is serious ... well, we need to campaign about that.

“Meaning all ... of these councillors around the table, get in the car and [sic] down to Wellington.”

Otherwise, she said the letter of protest would be “read and filed” and then lost in Wellington’s bureaucracy.

“If you want to go there, then let’s be radical about it because ain’t nobody [sic] know radical like us!”

Murch suggested teaming up with elected members from other councils to take their concerns to Wellington could add strength to their position.

While no such strategies were added to the recommendations, Taupō Ward councillor Rachel Cameron, who moved to pass the staff recommendations, told Local Democracy Reporting Murch’s concerns would be addressed by the council at a later date.

Councillors noted that they wanted to have input into the final response to send to Government. The draft will be brought to a council meeting on August 6.

Reactions from other councils

Taupō’s refusal to get "married in three months“, as Te Papamārearea ward councillor Ngahuia Foreman described it last month, has already affected amalgamation proposals across the region.

Taupō was initially considering submitting a Head Start proposal with South Waikato District and Rotorua Lakes Councils.

Taupō’s vote against any Head Start proposal has taken South Waikato and Rotorua by surprise.

South Waikato council staff described the proposal involving Rotorua, South Waikato and Taupō as “less viable” without Taupō, according to documents prepared for its meeting tomorrow.

Instead, South Waikato was now looking at a Western Waikato unitary authority based on the Waikato River catchment, alongside Waikato District and Waipā District councils.

South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley told Local Democracy Reporting that Taupō’s vote had left them scrambling back to the drawing board.

He wouldn’t be drawn on details, though said the council was working on the best options for the South Waikato despite these last-minute decisions.

“We’ll keep working on ensuring the best outcome for our residents, including our iwi partners.”

South Waikato District Council is due to vote on which amalgamation direction they’ll take tomorrow [Thursday, July 30].

Rotorua councillors are expected to now consider a proposal for Rotorua to pursue its own unitary authority as part of a wider Bay of Plenty approach under Head Start.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.