-"Despite what you hear from some, the four councils and HBRC all do work together, there's nothing wrong with a bit of competition ... "
Frankly, after nearly two years it's time Mr Little started to back up the empty rhetoric with some hard evidence - actually, any evidence at all would be enlightening.
Huge rates increases? Really? One can only assume Mr Little is referring to the Auckland super city, favourite whipping boy of the anti-amalgamation set. For his information, rates increases in the Auckland super city the past four years are running at about half of the 6.9 per cent average projected by the eight legacy councils in their Long Term Plans, despite major investment in long overdue infrastructure - oops ...
To label the independent research prepared for all the councils and the Local Government Commission as "propaganda" is something of a bizarre stretch when the Wairoa District Council itself has printed an advertisement saying "If you think it takes a long time to go get a pot-hole fixed now, imagine having to join an even longer queue".
Actually, you don't need to know much about Wairoa to be able to interpret trends and statistics, Mr Little. But being locally bred and with nearly 40 years of Wairoa business and community-organisation experience, I reckon I have a fair idea of what makes this place tick, including the threats and the opportunities.
To suggest that a unitary council "won't be able to do thebusiness, where the quality of service we deliver will disappear" is nonsensical when the elected eight-member Wairoa Local Board, including two local Hawke's Bay councillors, will be the ones "doing the business" for Wairoa. And is the quality of service given by the Wairoa District Council that great anyway?
The Hawke's Bay councils collectively own HBLASS, the Hawke's Bay Local Authority Shared Services company, with the chief executives of each council as directors. When amalgamation "threatens", one would assume that HBLASS would be trying its hardest to prove that the shared-services model was a better alternative.
Yet even the HBLASS chairman described the last annual result as "disappointing". You could hardly find a better argument for amalgamation.
Hawke's Bay council shared services have never really provided any tangible benefits in the past and if they can't now with the incentive for the chief executives of keeping their jobs, then how likely would they be to succeed in the future?
Finally, Mr Little, as for the suggestion that "there's nothing wrong with a bit of competition" (between councils), competition and the lack of cohesion between councils is probably the greatest factor dragging down regional development and for the Bay lagging behind virtually all of New Zealand in the majority of social and economic indicators. I am amazed that you would even make such a statement, particularly when Wairoa is the most economically and socially challenged district in the Bay.
With the time approaching for a referendum on an amalgamation, voters need factual information. The time for unsubstantiated rhetoric is over. Give us some legitimate arguments, Mr Mayor.
-Chris Joblin is a former Wairoa District councillor
-Business and civic leaders, organisers, experts in their field and interest groups can contribute opinions. The views expressed here are the writer's personal opinion and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz
