Government’s reforms will pressure councils to amalgamate – Andrew Little

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington’s mayor says it’s more likely the region’s councils will become a super-city following reforms announced by the government this week.

Andrew Little said the government’s reforms are another step towards Wellington, Greater Wellington, Porirua, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt councils merging into one.

“I think the intention of this particular part of the reform – the whole thing about regional councils – is about putting further pressure on councils to think about amalgamation. So yes, I think that will happen.”

While he said he doesn’t want to predict it definitively, a combined Wellington council was “more likely than not” to form as other services, like water, were shared.

“I think many of us would still say there needs to be a level of public support required before you go down that path, but I think we are heading that way.”

Under the government’s proposals, regional councillors are gone by mid-2027, replaced by city and district mayors who will take over their responsibilities for the environment, transport and emergency planning on Combined Territory Boards.

The boards must then develop a regional strategy for how they will work together in the long term, including potentially amalgamating some councils, or setting up agencies to take over transport.

These plans will require consultation with local communities, iwi, and other stakeholders.

Porirua mayor Anita Baker said she wants to see the five councils merge before the next council term in three years’ time.

“This is our chance to do it and do it once, and do the full amalgamation side of it, so that we’re not having to have all these separate boards.

“I think this is just the next step of being grown-ups and saying well actually, there’s four mayors in the region, adding in Greater Wellington, there has to be one person…I have no problem, losing my job for a better service and a better council.”

She said a separate authority should be set up for Wellington’s transport.

Porirua and Lower Hutt councils held referenda about whether residents wanted a discussion on amalgamation during the election, with a majority supporting the discussion in each city.

Lower Hutt’s mayor Ken Laban said there’s an appetite for change in the inter-connected region.

“Wainuomata is a case in point, Wainuomata is the biggest ward in Hutt city with close to 20,000 people, there is virtually no industry in Wainuomata – so everyone works in either Lower Hutt or Wellington.

“And of course the public service in Wellington, the 32,000 people that are on the trains every day that move between Masterton, Upper Hutt, Porirua, Lower Hutt.”

He said there would need to be consultation with the public on any proposal for a Wellington super-city.

Upper Hutt’s mayor Peri Zee said she’s open to discussing amalgamation, but doesn’t want to see progress undone if a new government ditches the reforms.

She disagreed with Wellington, Porirua and Lower Hutt’s mayors, who all told RNZ amalgamation, at some point is an “inevitability”.

“I think there’s a concern in the community that we would lose our local voice, and I think that for Upper Hutt, that’s something that’s really important to us.”

Zee said a larger council size didn’t necessarily mean efficiency, and pointed to Auckland, where she said there were 147 elected members in total.

RMA (Resource Management Act) Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the point of this week’s proposals is to give the region a chance to sort out amalgamation plans for themselves.

He said legislation would be required for a Wellington super-city, which is still hypothetical.

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) vice-president and Gisborne district mayor Rehette Stoltz said discussions about amalgamation were for local communities, and LGNZ did not have a formal view on it.

Stoltz said it was still unclear what the RMA reforms could mean for councils and whether bigger entities were being envisioned by government.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand