Small group turn up to hear Wilde present options

Wairarapa residents hungry for information around options for the future governance of Wairarapa have had some of their questions answered at the first of three public meetings to be held - although politicians have been accused of trying to turn things in their favour.

About 30 people turned out to the two hour meeting at Carterton Events Centre on Wednesday night to discuss future governance options for the region.

Greater Wellington Regional Council and three other Wellington councils - Kapiti, Porirua and Wellington - have joined together to consult the community on two proffered options.

Both models for change propose a single council for the region which may or may not include Wairarapa.

One has a single tier of representation - a mayor and up to 29 councillors - while the other has a mayor and fewer councillors in the first tier - up to 21 - but a second tier of up to eight local boards.

The alternative would be the status quo.

Greater Wellington chair Fran Wilde presented a recent newspaper column about the debate by Carterton mayor Ron Mark - who was not in attendance - to the audience.

"I said it was inaccurate and I had tried to correct the information that was in it," she said.

Mr Mark said Ms Wilde has been running a "spin campaign" to push the option of a Wellington super city.

"She will say and do whatever she has to do to win her argument," he said.

Ms Wilde also presented the two options to the crowd and hoped to clear up any confusion about the role of local boards.

"I tried to explain to people how that would work.

"A number of people said 'we haven't heard this information before."

Ms Wilde said the meeting may have been held at the wrong time and hoped more would turn out to the next meetings in Wairarapa.

"I know there's quite a lot of interest in this and people are hungry for facts," she said.

South Wairarapa mayor Adrienne Staples said she intends going to the Featherston meeting next week.

"We're supposed to be making informed decisions on this so the more information ... the better decision making process."

Other meetings in Wairarapa will be held on April 8 at Anzac Hall, Featherston from 2pm to 4pm and Masterton Town Hall from 7pm to 9pm.

Meanwhile, Wairarapa councils are undertaking their own consultation process.

A report on the viability of the three councils' preferred option of a unitary authority is expected to be released next week.