Hide: hold on Waikato merger

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide has virtually ruled out any chance of a Waikato super-council being adopted next year along with Auckland city amalgamations.

On Friday, a group led by former Hamilton mayor Margaret Evans proposed a mass amalgamation of Waikato councils at a select committee hearing on the Auckland proposal.

The group cited the costs and inefficiencies of Waikato local government and suggested the Government include Waikato restructuring in time for the local body elections in October next year.

Mr Hide today acknowledged he read the Waikato proposal "with interest". Asked whether the proposal might be acted on, he responded that Auckland was the focus as it was the situation that needed addressing.

"We've tried to build the structure in Auckland so it is replicable but our focus is on Auckland, to get that right. Then we will be very interested to see the response from people around the country.

"It's going to be up to the people of the Waikato."

Ms Evans said it was the same message the group received. "It's been acknowledged right around the country that Auckland is going to be the template.

"We believe that reform is inevitable for 2013. If it is, then why are we not going to get on with some of it?"

Ms Evans said a group from the Far North had put up a similar amalgamation proposal which showed other areas were thinking the same way.

Ms Evans' group also included former city councillors John Gallagher and Mavora Hamilton, Employers and Manufacturers Association chairman Jack Ninnes and former Property Council president Ian Patton. Also involved were businessman Bill McArthur and former mayors John Hewitt (Waipa), Eric Tait (Otorohanga) and Angus Macdonald (Waikato).

The proposal called for a merger of Hamilton City Council, Environment Waikato and Waikato, Waipa, Otorohanga, Waitomo, Matamata-Piako, South Waikato and Taupo District Councils.

It called for the work presently done by eight mayors, one chairman and 92 councillors to be performed by one mayor and 14 councillors. Benefits for residents included coherent and consistent planning with one long-term plan, one annual budget and one district plan and the cost savings this would create.

Some of the region's mayors and councillors were critical of the plan over the weekend, with Hamilton City Councillor Dave Macpherson describing it as a "spectacular brain explosion".

Waikato Mayor Peter Harris said amalgamation talks were already under way and he was confident Waikato would have decided its own amalgamation by the election after next.

Waipa Mayor Alan Livingston said Waikato would pursue amalgamations "on our own time and on our own terms" rather than "rushing up to Auckland" to ask the Government to decide it.

Ms Evans indicated some of the responses were patch protection.

"How can you expect someone who's occupying a seat that's going to disappear to have a positive response?"

She said a huge amount of work was being done by the Government reviewing local government, rating and the Resource Management Act.

"All this concludes that change is needed.

"We took the initiative and we believe now is the time."

Some mayors were critical at not being consulted by the group before it made its submission. Ms Evans said it was a question of time.

"In the end the decision to make a formal submission was made quite quickly."

- © Fairfax NZ News