Last-ditch challenge to district council

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 22, 22 October 1985, Page 1

Last-ditch challenge to district council

In a surprise developnient on Sunday night a meeting of Karioi ratepayers rejected the proposed district council representation formula agreed to by local councils. The formula of five representatives from Waimarino County Council, and four each from Raetihi and Ohakune Boroughs, had been agreed to after long wrangling by council representatives on the steering committee. The County Council's Karioi representatives, Cr John Martin and Cr Malcolm Whale, however do not believe that the compromise formula gives a fair share to the county. The councillors base their argument on the section of the Local Government Act under which amalgamation is to take place, which asks councils to refer to the population, rateable value and the area of each ward. They

believe that this formula was not followed properly. Cr Martin outlined calculations to the Bulletin which he believes shows the county is under-represented. "We took percentages for Raetihi, Ohakune and the county for each of population, land value and total rates struck and came iip with an average which gave us proportions of a 14person district council," he said. Under this calculation the county would get seven representatives, Ohakune four and Raetihi three. "We want representation equivalent to what we are putting in," said Cr Martin. The meeting unanimously rejected the district council representation formula and called for action to obtain better representation for the county. Cr Martin delivered the motion to the county offices yesterday, along with a call for a special county meeting to discuss the issue.