No referendum on 'super city', says Hide

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide wants Aucklanders to have "maximum input" into the Government's super city proposals but he has ruled out holding a referendum.

Labour leader Phil Goff today called for a referendum to give Aucklanders a voice rather than "ramming changes through by special legislation".

He said the Royal Commission consulted widely and undertook extensive analysis over 18 months before making its recommendations, but the Government had fundamentally changed them without any further consultation.

Mr Goff said the proposals looked like a "jack-up" between National, ACT, Auckland City Mayor John Banks and a "small but powerful business elite".

The Greens also want a referendum, and MP Sue Kedgley said Mr Hide had effectively thrown the Royal Commission's report into the bin.

"The Local Government Act stipulates very clearly that before any significant local body reorganisation can be made, an extensive public consultation process must take place," she said.

"This must include consultation with stakeholders, notification of the draft proposal, a public submission process and a poll of electors to determine by simple majority whether the proposal should proceed or not."

Mr Hide told NZPA he wanted Aucklanders to have a bigger say than just a `yes' or `no' to a super city.

"The difficulty with a referendum is it would cost a million dollars and it would just ask `yes' or `no'," he said.

"What I'm picking up, very clearly, is that a lot of people favour a super city but they've got particular views about how it should be structured and run - it's not just a `yes' or `no' question, that's why I've been so actively engaged with the mayors."

Mr Hide said he was going to move fast with legislation, which would go to a select committee for public submissions.

That would allow Aucklanders to have their say, in detail, about the proposals.

Mr Hide met Auckland's mayors this morning and said good progress was made.

"Everyone has left their differences at the door and they're working in the best interests of Auckland," he said.

"We're continuing to meet with the mayors, we've set up a process for that."

- NZPA