Proposed merger may be litmus

Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley

The proposed local government reorganisation of Hawke's Bay could be the regional amalgamation litmus test.

Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley says looking at the current voting figures in terms of how the public will go, there is strong support, but there is also strong opposition.

"So I couldn't even guess at the outcome," he said.

"And the two main centres - Auckland went with a combined local government in the super city and Wellington have chosen not to proceed.

"So Hawke's Bay is interesting because it is the first regional test of how much enthusiasm there is for amalgamation."

When asked for comment about this idea, the Local Government Commission (LGC) all but dismissed answering the questions that a spokesperson requested be sent.

One of those questions, upon looking at their recent strike rate for this type of reorganisation, was whether amalgamation was the best way forward in terms of governance for the regions.

Over the past several years there have been four amalgamation debates in New Zealand the LGC decided not to proceed with an amalgamation proposal in Northland and Wellington due to local opposition, Nelson City and the Tasman District voted no to a merger, while people in Auckland did not get a choice.

The LGC declined to comment on this or any of the questions it was asked.

"The commission does not intend to comment on general amalgamation matters while voting is in progress," a spokesperson for the commission said.

However it has commented on it in the past.

In June this year the LGC was quoted in an article published in the Northern Advocate.

"After nearly three years of consultation, submissions, hearings and deliberations, the commission announced yesterday its proposal for a single authority for Northland is off the table," the paper reported.

"It also announced the various councils in and surrounding Wellington would not be amalgamated either, but Hawke's Bay's councils probably would."

However, the LGC spokesperson said the sentence referred to in the Northern Advocate was unattributed and misconstrued the body's position.

"This was carefully set out in the commission's media releases at the time," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson singled out a particular comment made by LGC chief executive officer Sandra Preston.

"It is now up to the people of Hawke's Bay to have further input into whether or not this final proposal goes ahead. They can ask for a poll to vote on it if they wish," she said in the release dated June 9.

The commission spokesperson furthered this, saying a poll was duly petitioned and validated for the local region.

"The amalgamation decision is up to the people of Hawke's Bay," the spokesperson said.