Merger submissions up to 700

Basil Morrison, chairman of the Local Government Commission, with fellow commissioners Grant Kirby and Anne Carter. Photo / File

The Local Government Commission says it has received more than 700 submissions on its proposal to amalgamate Hawke's Bay's five local authorities.

Submissions on the proposal closed at the end of last week and the commission is scheduled to hold hearings on the issue in the region in mid-April.

The commission has been under the spotlight this week after a meeting in Taupo on Monday of about 20 local body leaders, including three Hawke's Bay mayors, who voiced concerns about its processes for assessing amalgamation proposals.

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton, Wairoa Mayor Craig Little and Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Peter Butler were at the meeting and are among local body leaders to criticise the commission for what they say has been a lack of adequate consultation over the amalgamation process.

However, the commission hit back at its critics, saying it was dealing with various amalgamation proposals around the country "in good faith and in accordance with legislation".

"The commission is listening to the views of a wide range of groups and individuals," its chief executive Donald Riezebos said.

The commission had held almost 200 meetings in Northland, Hawke's Bay and Wellington, the three regions where amalgamation proposals were under consideration, Mr Riezebos said.

"There have been public meetings open to all-comers and further meetings held individually with affected groups. Those groups include councils, iwi, chambers of commerce, local businesses, sector groups, funding agencies and ratepayer associations."

The commission held eight public meetings in Hawke's Bay last year. Mr Riezebos said those meetings were not required by legislation "but the LGC chose to travel to each region to hear first-hand from local communities".

Mr Little has previously complained that commission meetings in Wairoa last year were held at short notice and with little advertising.

Mr Butler and Mr Dalton have complained that the commission is promoting a pro-amalgamation agenda being pushed by central government, but Mr Riezebos rejected that suggestion.

"The commission must be satisfied there is community support for any proposal. As an example, last month the commission declined an application for Nelson and Tasman councils to be formed into one local authority, due in part to a lack of information about public support for change."

Once the commission has held hearings in Hawke's Bay it must decide if its amalgamation proposal has the required level of support and if it does it will release a "final proposal" which may include changes from the draft released last year.

The public will then have the opportunity to call for a referendum on the issue. That is likely to be held late this year or early in 2015.