Plethora of rules proves case for merger-group

A Better Hawke's Bay volunteers Ben Peterson, Alistair Mason and Anna Hewitt put up a billboard promoting local government amalgamation.

As A Better Hawke's Bay's pro-amalgamation hoardings go up, the group says the complexity of different council sign rules throughout the region are one reason local authorities should be merged.

The group, whose 2013 application to the Local Government Commission sparked the amalgamation proposal, is going into campaign mode ahead of a regionwide referendum on the subject in September.

Spokesman Alistair Mason said one issue it had to deal with as it ramped up its campaign were the varying election and advertising sign bylaws spanning Napier City and the Wairoa, Hastings and Central Hawke's Bay district councils.

The different regimes got "very confusing" with the rules varying between councils with regards to size restrictions and when they could be erected and taken down, Mr Mason said.

In Hastings, the council was applying its "temporary event" rules to the amalgamation referendum campaign, and hoardings did not need to be taken down until seven days after the September 15 poll date.

But in Napier, under its bylaws applying to election signs, they had to be removed by September 14.

"All I can say is I am glad I am not a builder, grower or other person trying to navigate my way through four sets of rules on a daily basis," Mr Mason said.

"This must cost small business in Hawke's Bay a huge amount all the time, we have huge sympathy with them.

"It's ridiculous the amount of red tape you need to get through just to put up the same sign in Hastings as it is in Napier, Wairoa or Waipukurau, let alone trying to build houses, get water rights or run a business."

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton rejected the claim that having five councils in the region (including Hawke's Bay Regional Council) was a recipe for excessive red tape.

Mr Dalton said the Napier City Council and Hastings District Council district plans had been "harmonised" where it made sense to have the same rules across the two jurisdictions, but that was not always the case.

"That's the beauty of having different councils - the different rules recognise the differences in the two communities," he said.
"Wherever it makes sense we have made the rules the same, but where they are different, that's not bad, it simply reflects the different needs and wants in our different communities."

Anti-amalgamation signs are already out across the region including through campaigns run by Napier MP Stuart Nash and the Hastings Against Amalgamation lobby group.

Mr Mason said ABHB had been amazed by the number of offers it had received from people wanting to put up pro-amalgamation signs on their properties.