Cash for merger study

BY SIMON EDWARDS

Hutt City Council will spend $22,722 as its share of the cost of preparing an independent report on whether local authority amalgamations are warranted. However, the research and findings will not be made available before the council elections in October.

The Mayoral Forum had proposed that the region's eight city and district councils and Greater Wellington Regional Council contribute towards a $150,000 budget to commission an independent consultant to review local governance arrangements.

Councils have settled final details of the terms of reference, and it will be up to the councils' Chief Executives' Forum to liaise with the consultant over the process, timeline and so on.

A Hutt City Council report says the exercise could include research, analysis and facilitated workshops of each council, input from groups such as the Wellington Regional Strategy Committee, business and community organisations, plus a call for submissions from residents and a public opinion survey.

Mayor David Ogden says he's ready for a ''wholesome'' debate and considers it's better that Wellington's councils sort through the pros and cons of amalgamations ''than have something dictated to us''.

The intention is that the report and its recommendations will go to incoming mayors voted in for the 2010-13 triennium. Asked why the consultants report couldn't be available before October so voters e could consider various candidates' response and attitude to options on what is a key debate for the region's future, Mr Ogden said journalists and others might argue for that.

In terms of voters' wishes, and the desire to have a leader in the Hutt to argue our case on the subject, he said: ''I'm ready to have a debate at any time [about amalgamation]''. While he has yet to formally confirm whether he will seek another term as mayor, he added: ''I've shown plenty of testosterone and ability to fight on the merger topic.  At this stage I think I'm the best candidate to do that.''

Mr Ogden said there is ''probably'' enough time to analyse options and prepare a comprehensive report that could be made available publicly before October.

But he senses that Wellington region leaders and citizens are interested to first see how things work out with the 'Super City' amalgamation in Auckland.

And besides which, the indications from the Government is that it is not yet ready to deal with talk of potential council amalgamations in other parts of the country. ''His [Local Government Minister Rodney Hide's] mind is not tuned towards it.''

The Government may not be ready  and indeed Mr Hide has stated a number of times he will not force amalgamation on other regions  but Mr Ogden said he is aware of strong debate for merging councils in other parts of the country, particularly in Waikato and Hawke's Bay.

- Hutt News