MP wants Super City boundary moved

A National MP is seeking to move the proposed southern boundary of the Auckland super city.

Hunua MP Paul Hutchinson said the boundary should not split Waiuku or Pukekohe, and therefore the Franklin region, but instead go as far south as possible.

"It is untenable that streets in both towns are split. The current situation is the worst possible scenario," Dr Hutchinson said.

Prime Minister John Key has said he is open to changes in the boundaries in both the north and south if that is the wish of the local communities.

Dr Hutchinson said he would like the Government to allow him to amend the bill to reflect the Royal Commission's preferred option.

Now that a separate Franklin authority was unlikely most of the people and groups he had met with preferred to preserve as much of Franklin as possible in a board under the super city.

This would include Pukekohe, Waiuku, Aka Aka, Otaua, Tuakau and probably Pokeno, Dr Hutchinson said.

The issue of river management issues could be dealt with by leaving those responsibilities with Environment Waikato.

"People are very angry with the current proposed boundaries... the southern boundary should be as far south as possible, and though my personal preference was to preserve the entire Franklin District Council, Waiuku and Pukekohe must not be split," Dr Hutchinson said.

- NZPA