Source: Radio New Zealand
Environment Southland chair Jeremy McPhail said the region had a limited window to determine its future. ODT/Supplied
Southland’s regional council is calling for a united response after the government announced councils have three months to come up with plans to amalgamate or it will be done for them.
The news comes as the Local Government Commission continues to investigate a proposal by Southland’s mayor to merge the region’s four existing councils into two unitary authorities.
The entire process from assessing the request to a final decision and transition was expected to take three to five years, but now the clock was ticking down with the government’s new deadline.
Environment Southland chair Jeremy McPhail said the region had a limited window to determine its future.
“For Southland, the key question is whether we shape that change ourselves, or have it shaped for us,” he said.
“It’s up to us, as Southland councils, to work closely together to develop a proposal that reflects our region’s unique communities, geography, and economy.”
He was waiting for more government advice on how the Commission’s investigation would align with the Tuesday ultimatum – come up with amalgamation plans within three months or the government would do it for you.
“The Commission’s work has been building an evidence base for exploring options for the future of local government in our region. The challenge now is to use that foundation constructively and at pace,” McPhail said.
The Commission agreed to investigate possible merging in July last year, saying the investigation was expected to take at least 12 months.
At the time, there was a mixed response to the prospect of the investigation with Gore District Council emphasising there needed to be demonstrable financial benefits for its ratepayers and concerns its local voice could be lost, while Invercargill City Council and Environment Southland flagged that a single unitary authority could be a beneficial option.
Phase One of the Commission’s work was expected to wrap up last month which focused on scoping the issues and the opportunities of reorganising local government in Southland.
Jeremy McPhail was disappointed that regional councils had been excluded from putting forward any change proposals but said they would continue to advocate for the region.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink how local government works in Southland and Environment Southland remains committed to working constructively with our council partners, iwi and communities to help shape a system that is fit for the future.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand