Single uber council attracts few takers

wta260711lfsnow01.jpg View of snow covered Tararua Ranges mountains and foothills with Albert Street, Masterton, in the foreground. Taken from the former Departmental Building , Chapel Street, Mastert

There is little public appetite for an "uber council" that would span from Miramar to Masterton, says Wellington's mayor.

Hutt City Council yesterday released the results of a region-wide survey which showed more than 75 per cent of residents in Wellington City, Hutt City, Porirua, Upper Hutt, Kapiti and Wairarapa wanted boundaries to stay the way they are.

The Local Government Commission has been investigating proposals for a merger of Wellington's nine councils, with or without the three district councils in Wairarapa, which could merge into a separate unitary authority.

The issue was up for public consultation and could go to a referendum if more than 10 per cent of voters in any one of the areas wants one.

There are two proposals.

A single-tier urban super council would not include Wairarapa, and have an elected mayor and 29 councillors elected to wards.

A two-tier model would include Wairarapa, have an elected mayor, 21 councillors elected to wards, and eight local boards of up to nine members each.

The survey showed only 18 per cent of residents supported a single council for the Wellington region, while 76 per cent wanted to keep the present boundaries.

The results "indicate that there is little public appetite for one uber council from Miramar to Masterton", Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown said.

"This survey shows that a two-tier super city proposal would struggle to be endorsed through a referendum," she said.

"The larger an organisation, the greater the geographical distance, the greater the potential separation between decision-makers and their constituents. I note all 21 local boards in Auckland wrote a letter to Mayor Len Brown claiming they are being ignored by the Auckland Council."

She said Wellington City was eager to continue the progress of increased co-operation on essential local government functions.

- NZME.