Amalgamation vote: Door-knocking hits crescendo

Chief returning officer Warwick Lampp. Photo / Supplied

Leading opponents of the Hawke's Bay local government amalgamation proposal are growing in confidence that it will be rejected, as figures reveal Hastings is dragging the chain when it comes to getting the votes in.

According to latest Electionz.com figures, papers returned from apparent pro-amalgamation stronghold Hastings are outnumbered by those from the smaller Napier ward, which voted heavily against a twin-cities amalgamation the last time a reorganisation poll was held here in 1999.

Just after 4pm, 10,485 were recorded as voted in Hastings, which has 53,067 on the roll, while 11,311 had voted in Napier, where 42,769 are on the roll.

Just 19.76 per cent of the Hastings roll had voted, which compared with more than 22 per cent at the same stage of the 2013 local body election race.

But 25 per cent had voted by late yesterday in each of Napier, and Central Hawke's Bay and Wairoa, all seen as likely to have majorities against the proposal, and together had had 47 per cent more votes lodged than Hastings.

While the votes For and Against can't be counted until voting closes at noon on September 15, the trends were all being noticed yesterday by campaigners, and in Napier and Hastings at least tended to be mirroring the 1999 poll in which more Napier people voted, despite having almost 5900 fewer on the roll.

Anna Lorck, a strong pro-amalgamation campaigner who as a Labour candidate last year unsuccessfully challenged National MP Craig Foss for the Hastings' Tukituki seat in Parliament, as she implored more Hastings people to vote. "I think it's sending a very clear message to the people of Hastings district," she said.

"It's just about halftime, so if people really want to make this happen then they have to get onto the paddock, pull on the black and white shirt and do this for Hawke's Bay.

"This is very much about voting for our future, and I don't want to be old and grey in 20 or 30 years' time watching my kids be put through this again.

"The next two weeks are critical," she said, pondering the next door-knocking moves as "a Hawke's Bay resident and ratepayer and amalgamation supporter". "I'll be going very hard out, right to the last day," she said.

Napier MP Stuart Nash, whose electorate includes Wairoa and is campaigning strongly against the proposal said it's "early days yet", but added: "I think the people of Napier, Wairoa and Central Hawke's Bay understand the dangers to their communities. It is good to see them engaging. As I've said all along this proposal would be bad for Wairoa and Central Hawke's Bay if it went ahead."

Voters using the postal service are being reminded to make sure their papers are mailed by next Thursday to ensure they are received before the poll deadline five days later.

Chief returning officer Warwick Lampp said voters preferring not to use the postal system can deliver their votes to offices of any of the councils involved. If voters have not received papers they should call the helpline 0800 666 033.