Combined southern council wards mooted

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 538, 31 May 1994, Page 1

Combined southern council wards mooted

Combining the Waiouru and Waimarino wards of the Ruapehu District is an option the council is to ask the two ward's community boards to consider. The Ruapehu District Council has a statutory obligation to review its 'basis of election and constitution of communities' by 31 August in the year prior to an election. The idea of the merger was put forward by council chief executive Cliff Houston, who suggested that the need for two community boards in the south of the district could be reviewed "taking into account the factor that most of the population

of Waiouru ward resides within the Army Training Group area which the council does not have any jurisdiction over". "Thus the cost of the Waiouru Community Board is relatively high compared with other boards," he said in his report to the council. He said there were sound economic reasons for considering a combined Waiouru Waimarino ward. Councillor Ellen Gould said she had always favoured a combined ward, following Cr Bob Peck' s query whether there was a strong feeling about such a bond. Boundary change Also to be considered is a boundary change between the National Park and T aumarunui wards. Mr Houston was asked to bring back a proposal to the next meeting on a boundary shift that would see the boundary at the top of the Piriaka Hill, with Kakahi, Whakapapa Road and Otapouri Rd included in the National Park ward. CrTony Hawkins said a boundary should be set so that both sides of a road were within the same ward. This was not the case

at present at Otapouri Rd. Other councillors supported the status quo, or called for a survey of local people to gauge their opinion. The council decided to ask the two boards to consider the matter. Also discussed as part of the review was the basis of election of councillors. It was decided that they should continue to be elected on a ward basis and not district- wide (the other option). Councillors felt it was important that residents knew the people they were voting for and that this would be weakened by a district- wide vote.