Governance forums get similar response

A series of meetings held to discuss the future governance of the region has drawn a similar response in each town, says South Wairarapa mayor Adrienne Staples.

Mrs Staples said the Martinborough meeting on Wednesday night attracted similar comments to previous meetings. Five meetings are being held this week to discuss the district councils' preferred option of a Wairarapa unitary authority. About 60 people turned out in Martinborough.

Mrs Staples said there was a similar reaction as previous South Wairarapa meetings. "Some people agreed, and some people disagreed."

She said the public can continue to give their feedback to the Wairarapa governance review working party.

They will then put together a proposal for the Local Government Commission.

A Masterton meeting was held last night.

An article in the Times-Age earlier this week reported Mrs Staples as saying the working party were unable to determine what Greater Wellington Regional Council subsidies were received in Wairarapa, as the data was unavailable.

The story should have said the working party were unable to ascertain the true costs of work done in Wairarapa as the regional council do not keep Wairarapa accounts. We apologise for the error.