Conversation about council amalgamation plan too rushed, Andrew Little says

Wellington’s mayor has hit out at the government’s timeline for amalgamating councils, saying it’s not enough time for residents to make a major decision.

But Andrew Little says he wants to talk seriously about amalgamation, while leaders further north of Wellington city grapple with how a super-city might look.

The government is requiring councils throughout the country to submit reorganisation plans by 9 August - or it will make the decisions for councils themselves.

In a speech in the capital on Wednesday, Little said the clock is ticking on Wellington’s super-city plans.

“Ten weeks to consider services, assets, facilities, rating, fees and debt.

“Ten weeks to have deep, complex conversations in homes, businesses, lunch-rooms, sports clubs and community organisations - schools, universities, online, and everywhere else.

“Let me be clear - we can’t have this conversation properly in 10 weeks.”

Despite this, Little said he backs amalgamation.

He said combining Lower and Upper Hutt, Porirua and Wellington city council makes sense - though he’s not shutting the door on Wairarapa’s councils, or Kāpiti District Council either.

And he was realistic about what he believed a super-city would or would not deliver.

“I do not believe amalgamation would cut the rates, but over time a metro council would help us to manage costs better, and deliver better services too.”

Little said he wants a region-wide referendum on the issue, after he’s presented his plan to government, saying the public needed to “have a voice”.

The Porirua and Lower Hutt mayors said they already polled their residents on the issue last year.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said she supports amalgamation.

“We’re like Hutt, we did the referendum, and we’ve got the voice to keep going, to have that discussion - so now it’s a matter of finding that proposal and doing it to ourselves so government doesn’t - now is the chance to grab it.”

The situation is different further north, where in Upper Hutt, mayor Peri Zee said she was “skeptical” about the benefits of a super-city.

“I’m also concerned around Upper Hutt in terms of our current rates structure, which is lower than others. I don’t want Upper Hutt to be seen as a revenue source for the rest of the region.”

Zee said she was currently consulting with the community to hear their views on a super-city.

Kāpiti District’s mayor Janet Holborow said the council was sending out a survey to residents to get their thoughts.

“The important thing is we are really still working on how the models might look - and also it was good to hear the mayor acknowledge that Kāpiti has options to the North and the South.”

Carterton District mayor Steve Cretney said residents tell him they feel they have a distinct identity to Wellingtonians.

He said Carterton, South Wairarapa and Masterton district mayors are deciding whether to merge into one Wairarapa unitary council - or join up with Wellington.

Cretney said he ideally wants one, Wairarapa council, but warns it could lead to rates increases for residents without the Greater Wellington Regional Council delivering public transport, flood protection and pest control.

“Many people that I’ve had discussions with since this was pushed on us by government, the people are for a Wairarapa unitary.

“But I then put another question to them - are they prepared to pay a certain price for that to occur.”

Cretney said the councils have employed consultants Morrison Low to see how expensive creating a unitary council would be.

He said leaders are facing difficult choices in the next few weeks.

‘It is a short time frame’

Local Government New Zealand president Rehette Stoltz said some councils will probably ask the government to push out its 9 August deadline for amalgamation plans.

Stoltz said many councils did not think the timeframe for making amalgamation plans was achievable.

When LGNZ asked councils about the timeframe to put forward a proposal, half of metropolitan councils thought the deadline was “possibly achievable”, while 20 percent of smaller and provincial councils said it was achievable, Stoltz told Checkpoint.

“It is a short time frame, but I don’t want us to lose sight that there are two options available with this government reform.”

Stoltz, who is also mayor of Gisborne, said the 9 August deadline was introduced for councils that had already started an amalgamation process.

“We’re looking at the Southland councils who already have had the Local Government Commission involved to guide them through the process.

“I know that in Northland some discussions already have been happening.”

A second process will come into effect in 2028, she said.

“Local Government New Zealand is working with the government to get more information on that backstop process and we will be sharing that with the sector as it comes to hand.”

Stoltz said the initial information required from councils is not detailed.

“I do know that it is very high level plans. I know that if you can demonstrate that this is possibly what you’re looking at, this is the structure, you’ve possibly asked members in your community their opinion… that will then be considered.”

She said she trusted the council reorgansation process will be collaborative.

“And I’m sure every single other mayor goes into this process trusting that it will be a collaborative process, because at the end of the day we all want the best for our regions.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he knows timeframes are tight, but that Little was being proactive in front-footing the conversation.

“Frankly, not having a deadline on it, means that the conversation dribbles on forever and ever as is prone to do.

“I know it’s putting pressure on the system but it’s actually better we make a decision: hard yes, hard no.”

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