Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Politicians divided over bill's scope

By Christine McKay
Hawkes Bay Today·
22 Aug, 2016 04:58 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ron Mark.

Ron Mark.

New Zealand First is behind local authorities who are challenging the Local Government Amendment Bill (No2), the party leaders said in Dannevirke last week.

The bill was introduced to Parliament last month and, if passed, will enable the Local Government Commission to create Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) without consultation and without the agreement of councils or the community.

"The Local Government Commission is setting out to screw local bodies," NZ First leader Winston Peters said.

"They want to amalgamate you, but look at Auckland. It's a total, absolute mess.

"If you want that, you should be able to vote for it."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Deputy leader Ron Mark said NZ First stood firmly behind residents and ratepayers on the issue.

"We understand the situation of this bill and, when we are in government, we will change the legislation."

The Tararua District Council is strongly opposed to many aspects of the bill and has put in a submission against it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, Wairarapa MP, National's Alastair Scott, has told the Dannevirke News CCOs exist in Auckland and huge savings had been made on water and transport with ratepayers across the greater Auckland region receiving better services.

"Options for CCOs are diverse, they don't necessarily have to follow the Auckland model. They could manage services without owning assets - like Wellington Water - or be a trust," he said.

"Communities have rejected large-scale amalgamations as they want keep their local voice and democracy. The Government has heard this message. The focus of the reforms is to provide a wider menu of options for councils to collaborate in the delivery of local services.

"Councils have expressed concerns around the proposal to allow the Local Government Commission to establish CCOs without necessarily having the agreement of all affected councils and without recourse to a poll, but CCOs will not be forced on communities without public consultation.

"This was an important point made in the Tararua District Council's submission."

Mr Scott said the Local Government Commission would be subject to greater oversight and bound by statutory criteria.

"In any investigation, it will be required to consult with key stakeholders, including affected councils and local communities."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Plan to drill wastewater pipe under Clive River withdrawn amid opposition

08 Jul 02:32 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke’s Bay Magpies land another Super Rugby star for upcoming NPC campaign

07 Jul 11:17 PM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

'100% a crisis': More than 900 women wait for specialist gynaecology care in Hawke’s Bay

07 Jul 06:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Plan to drill wastewater pipe under Clive River withdrawn amid opposition

Plan to drill wastewater pipe under Clive River withdrawn amid opposition

08 Jul 02:32 AM

'We are in a position where we will have to find alternatives.'

Hawke’s Bay Magpies land another Super Rugby star for upcoming NPC campaign

Hawke’s Bay Magpies land another Super Rugby star for upcoming NPC campaign

07 Jul 11:17 PM
Premium
'100% a crisis': More than 900 women wait for specialist gynaecology care in Hawke’s Bay

'100% a crisis': More than 900 women wait for specialist gynaecology care in Hawke’s Bay

07 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Editorial: Coronial inquest into deaths in flooding will hurt - hopefully it will also help

Editorial: Coronial inquest into deaths in flooding will hurt - hopefully it will also help

07 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP