Cabinet about-face lets Super City keep coastal playground

The Government has bowed to pressure and put Auckland's coastal playground north of Waiwera back in the Auckland Super City.

Prime Minister John Key yesterday said the Cabinet had acknowledged that the majority of Rodney people did not want the district split in two.

An earlier Cabinet decision to exclude north Rodney from the Super City caught locals and the Auckland Regional Council by surprise and led to frantic lobbying to keep Rodney intact.

Matakana lawyer Colin Binstead summed up a strong view that a merger of north Rodney with Kaipara District Council was a "Trojan Horse" that would allow developers to destroy precious coastal and rural land.

Mr Key said the earlier decision was based on the view of a select committee, which had not taken a wide enough view.

"You will never please everybody, but in the final analysis an all-in approach is the majority will of the people of Rodney. We have listened to them," Mr Key said.

The Cabinet also decided yesterday to keep the proposed boundary dividing Franklin between Auckland and Waikato.

An area in the Hunuas containing the Mangatangi and Mangatawhiri dams will stay in the Waikato but continue to be owned and operated by the Auckland council.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide said a lot of thought had gone into the southern boundary, as there were arguments for extending it down to the Waikato River.

The boundary will be based on the water catchments for the Manukau Harbour and Waikato River.

Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee said the boundaries were a triumph for common sense.

"By and large, greater Auckland has been left intact," Mr Lee said.

Rodney Mayor Penny Webster was pleased the Rodney boundary had been settled, but had reservations about the provision of services to the largely rural district.

She wanted to work with the Local Government Commission on representation for Rodney, including the possibility of two councillors on the Super Auckland Council.

The Government has promised Rodney and Franklin one councillor each on the 20-member council.

Franklin Mayor Mark Ball said the southern boundary was better than moving it to the Waikato River.

"At least it has some sound rationale behind it and is not just political interference."

Mr Ball said Mr Key had assured him he could discuss ironing out some anomalies with the boundary when he met the Local Government Commission on Thursday.

The boundary now cuts Waiuku in two and the hairpin in the motor racing track on the southern edge of Pukekohe is in Waikato.

The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance recommended no change to the northern boundary and set the southern boundary at the Waikato River, with Environment Waikato and Tainui responsible for managing the river.

The commission said the reason for the river boundary was the need to plan for growth in places such as Pokeno, which were likely to rely on Auckland for employment and economic well-being.

It would also avoid splitting communities of interest straddling the Bombay Hills.

The commission said the Super City should retain control of areas outside the official urban boundaries to protect the amenity of residents, landscape, coastal and ecological values, water quality and to keep productive land for food production.