Tauranga agrees to $143k amalgamation study

An in-depth study of issues that could help shape future council amalgamations in the Bay of Plenty will cost Tauranga City Council $143,500.

The council today agreed to its portion of the Bay-wide research project which has already drawn funding promises from the Western Bay of Plenty and Whakatane district councils.

Further meetings around the Bay this week to raise the estimated $500,000 needed to pay for the project will culminate on Friday at a normally confidential meeting of the region's council leaders.

The study seeks to understand the issues and opportunities needed to help determine possible future structures for local government in the Bay.

Options that have surfaced from past debates on amalgamations have ranged from a single unitary authority covering the whole of the Bay of Plenty, to the region's seven councils reducing to three unitary councils based on the western Bay centred on Tauranga, the eastern Bay centred on Whakatane and the inland Bay centred on Rotorua. A unitary council incorporated the functions of a regional council.

Phase one of the project to compile all the data needed for a decision-making process by the public and politicians was due to be completed by June 30 next year. It will include the cost of consultants and a communications manager.

The investigation into the future "form and function" of local government in the Bay included input by Taupo and the South Waikato.