Labour to back Rodney's plan for Super City exclusion

A private member's bill to exclude the northern part of Rodney from the Auckland Super City is one step closer with Rodney's mayor saying the Labour Party is throwing its support behind it.

Rodney's mayor Penny Webster said an MP in the Labour Party has put their support behind the bill but she could not yet name the MP publicly.

The Labour Party are yet to confirm that they would be picking up the Private Member's Bill.

The area remains within the proposed boundary of Auckland's Super City, despite petitions to Parliament and overwhelming local support for becoming part of Kaipara District Council.

Mrs Webster said Rodney was in a peculiar position where its local MPs - Lockwood Smith and John Key - held powerful positions within Government.

"Obviously we would prefer a local MP," Mrs Webster said.

Kaipara Mayor Neil Tiller told the Herald in March that he had reiterated the request to the Auckland governance select committee, but afterwards he said the local council was "seriously considering" a parliamentary bill to achieve it.

Mr Tiller and members of the Northern Action Group delivered a petition and a bag of about 6000 Smarties - representing about 6000 signatures - to Northland MPs and to Local Government Minister Rodney Hide, asking to add northern Rodney to the Kaipara District Council.

"The groups petitioning Parliament will be asking us next week to consider a local bill," Mr Tiller said in March.

"Either [Northland MP] John Carter or [Te Tai Tokerau MP] Hone Harawira will have to introduce it into the House. But the council is seriously considering that."

The proposed Super City bill would prevent any boundary changes until the October 2013 council elections.