Kaipara lobbies to get harbour and district under its control

A move to put Kaipara Harbour under control of a single authority is gathering strength in Auckland's rural north.

Since 1989, administration of the country's largest harbour and the land draining into it has been shared by Kaipara and Rodney district councils and Auckland and Northland regional councils.

But Kaipara Mayor Neil Tiller says the system hampers co-ordinated action, consistent management and environmental protection.

He sees the restructuring of local government in Auckland as an opportunity to change this.

Rodney and the ARC are set to become part of the Auckland Council.

Rodney council objects, saying it should be left as a rural council, but also with the functions of the ARC within the district.

Mr Tiller said the solution was to merge Rodney's rural north with his council and let Rodney's urban eastern coastal parts go to the Super City.

The single authority would cover the Kaipara catchment and, with 60,000 people, would be a viable unit of local government. He said benefits included strong community of interest, protection of Auckland's rural hinterland and greater potential for economic development.

Rodney Mayor Penny Webster said her district had more people. "One would have to say it would be more like a takeover of Kaipara than a merger."

Helensville Residents Association chairman Mike O'Neill said there was support for a new authority for the Kaipara because it would understand rural issues better than an Auckland Council. However, Rodney representative on the Auckland Regional Council, Christine Rose, said a unified council was no guarantee of better environmental health for the harbour.

"Instead of wasting time on rearranging local government, we should do the best we can with what's in place. Even if there was only one council, there would still be multiple agencies involved."

The harbour is covered by two Department of Conservation Conservancies, different field areas of Forest & Bird Society and two Ngati Whatua agencies covering northern and southern parts. The northern one, Te Uri o Hau, has started a joint management programme for the Kaipara.

Its environmental manager, Juliane Chetham, said a single authority was preferred.

"We don't think the harbour is in a healthy state. There is a need to look at all the social, economic and environmental factors in a holistic and integrated fashion to manage the resource."

Jane Sherard, of Ngati Whatua Rimu o Kaipara, said a single management body was needed where all the parties had equal decision making opportunity and resources.

Guardians of Kaipara say a former Local Government Commission made a mistake by setting regional council boundaries without placing the Kaipara Harbour catchment with one regional council.