Community Leaders' Column

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 6, 2 July 1985, Page 5

Community Leaders' Column

Amalgamation or the status quo? This is the burning question that Raetihi, Ohakune and Waimarino are addressing at present prior to meeting with Brian Elwood, chairman of the Local Government Commission early in July. At a 'i/se/w/'meeting held recently in Ohakune between the three authorities it became obvious that Raetihi and Waimarino, in the interests of the region as a whole, believed that amalgamation would be desirable whereas Ohakune opted for the status quo. Before explaining Raetihi's position on this issue 1 would like to point out the reason the amalgamation issue has come to a head once again. This Labour Government, as did its predecessor of the 1970s, is determined to review and reorganise local government (local government meaning the administering of cities, boroughs and counties) so it will, in their opinion, operate more "effectively" and "efficiently".

To achieve this objective they have beefed up the membership and powers of the Local Government Commission which is the organisation responsible for sorting the amalgamation issue out, At both the Municipal and Counties conferences held this year, it was spelt out very clearly to delegates by the Minister of Local Government, Michael Bassett, and the chairman of the Local Government Commission, Brian Elwood, that each local authority must not only review its operation and in due course prove to the satisfaction of the Commission that it is running an effective and efficient unit, but should also look to its neighbours with a view to reorganising existing boundary lines and/ or amalgamating. It is for this reason that smaller councils such as Raetihi, Ohakune and Waimarino will find it difficult, I believe, to prove that we are operating as effectively and efficiently as we ought to be, and that the pressure placed on us by the

Commission to amalgamate will be far greater in areas of this type than in the larger urban or rural centres. For our part Raetihi Borough Council believes that it makes no sense to have three different councils administering the affairs of just over 4,000 people. By forming a district council comprised of three wards, two urban and one rural, we could set up a more efficient viable unit that would hopefully satisfy the requirements of the Local Government Commission, but more importantly it would mean savings and better service for ratepayers and residents, rather than as at present operating in triplicate. The ward system would ensure that rates paid in Raetihi would be spent in Raetihi as would rates in both the Ohakune and Waimarino wards. The Waimarino area, we believe, should remain intact and not become fragmented with bits placed here and there among other larger authorities. It is for this reason that Raetihi would like to see an amalgamation of the Waimarino area take place — not as has been suggested in a recent Chronicle report, that we are begging to be involved with Ohakune so as we can somehow act to stifle development there or would "act in concert" with the county to Ohakune's detriment. I've never read such drivel and I am bound to say that it was this sort of attitude from Waimarino County back in the 1 970s that caused negotiations on this issue to fizzle and eventually cease once

the Labour Government was voted out of office. Development in Ohakune with its 32% rate increases will continue unabated, purely and simply because it is closest to the mountain and has become a tourist town, where the tourist action is. Raetihi will continue developing as a residential service centre purely and simply because land is cheaper here and we are that much further away from the mountain scene. Despite all this the three authorities have much in common. The forestry, farming, market gardening and milling operations are shared among us, while tourism is not just confined to Ohakune but is generally increasing around the whole area. If the message from Brian Elwood next week is "amalgamate and do it your way, or we'll do it for you our way," then I sincerely hope that Ohakune will reconsider its stance and join with us in forming a Waimarino District Council that will surely offer us the greatest chance of obtaining a united Waimarino voice that will have a better chance of being heard rather than a "squeak" as the tail end part of a much larger authority. If on the other hand there is no compulsion to amalgamate and we are able to opt for the status quo (which I very much doubt), then Raetihi is well equipped to remain operating as is, even though once again a golden opportunity to combine would be lost.

G. S.

Workman

Mayor of Raetihi