Amalgamation issue settled

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 26, 25 November 1986, Page 1

Amalgamation issue settled

After many long arduous months of debate, deliberation and lengthy discussion, the three local bodies — the Ohakune and Raetihi Boroughs and the Waimarino County Council, were unable to reach a mutual agreement on the issue of amalgamation. The wrangle has ensnared the front page of the Bulletin for some time until recently when the matter passed from the hands of the local authorities to the local Government Commission. Chairman of the Commission, Brian Elwood, attended a special meeting of the three councils last week and announced the Commission's decision of a 5:3:3 representation, with Waimarino County holding five seats and equal representation for Raetihi and Ohakune. Mr Elwood said Government has offered assistance in meeting the costs of an election consequent upon council restructuring. The election of the Mayor and councillors will take place in March 1988 with a view to the new council operating from the start of the 1988 financial year, on 1 April. The Commission's proposal provides for no change to the structure of the council until the triennial election

of members in 1992. At that stage there may be circumstances justifying a review of membership. lncreased growth and development of one of the wards may be a reason for increasing membership for that ward. Mr Elwood commented he was sorry that a decision was unable to be made by the three councils. "We are aware that the decision is not going to please everyone but it is a carefully balanced, carefully made decision," he said. "It is an important milestone although we had held out the hope to endorse a proposal worked through by all three councils." Mr Elwood supported the Commission's decision for a 5:3:3 representation by saying: "Any other arrangements could be seen as creating an element of unfairness which would jeopardise the successful operation of the new district council." "There needs to be a sense of fairness between the urban and rural parts of the district and between the two urban parts of the district. The Commission is of the view that balancing all the factors and with the aim of creating a united district, the fairest representational arrangement would be five from the rural ward and three each from the two urban wards," he said. "One thing is certain, if

your councils continued to endeavour to exist as separate units of local Governm,ent. the cost of so doing would rise dramatically to a level which would likely be unacceptable to ratepayers," he said. "By combining the resources of the three councils. it should be possible at reasonable cost to provide local Government services to meet the needs of the district." Mr Elwood said the Commission is of the view that the district should be able to elect a leader able to speak for the district as a whole. The commission's proposal makes provision for the Waimarino to be led by a Mayor elected at large and a re-election of councillors from the three existing authorities to operate under the previously agreed name of 'Waimarino District Council.'