An appetite for amalgamation - mayors and MPs

Friday, 8 November 2024

Some of the region’s MPs, from left, Scott Simpson, Tim van de Molen, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke and Ryan Hamilton give their views on regional amalgamation.

Is it time to amalgamate the region’s councils? In part three of a series, the Waikato Times checks what mayors and MPs think.

A programme of shared services has dampened down many of the issues that might once have pushed the region’s councils toward amalgamation.

Amalgamation has fallen off the table for the majority of the region’s mayors who say it’s just not a topic for discussion and the regional shared services scheme CoLAB is doing the job, for now.

Local MPs spoken to by the Waikato Times all said it would be up to individual councils and their communities if they wanted to make the change.

CoLAB is a shared services partnership which includes the Waikato, Waipā, Hamilton City, Rotorua Lakes, Hauraki, South Waikato, Thames Coromandel, Matamata-Piako, Western Bay of Plenty, Ōtorohanga and Waitomo district councils, and the Waikato Regional Council.

Talk of Waikato-wide amalgamation drew a big ‘no’ from Hauraki district mayor Toby Adams.

It is a council-controlled organisation and facilitates shared services including procurement, legal, IT, roading, water, property valuation, and other operational services to reduce costs and improve service delivery.

All of the region’s councils are also in the process of formulating their Waikato Waters Done Well initiative, which is exploring the design of a multi-council entity to oversee drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services.

For Hauraki mayor Toby Adams, amalgamation is a “no go for us” and “won’t solve the problems people think it would solve”.

He said CoLAB was key and the region’s smaller councils already worked very well together.

Thames Coromandel mayor Len Salt said no-one had been talking about amalgamation in his district recently.

“People want to be able to walk the street, go to events, and see the mayor or a councillor, which would be a lot harder for a mayor who would cover a dozen or so distinct communities.”

Matamata-Piako mayor Adrienne Wilcock said new amalgamation discussions would be premature, but her council was working on the water services entity as well as making good use of CoLAB’s services.

“This approach has supported the development of good practice in areas such as roading asset management, health and safety, trade waste, and the development of e-learning opportunities for staff.”

Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk is working on a proposal to streamline building consents which could take the responsibility off local councils.

Thames Coromandel mayor Len Salt said no amalgamation discussions had been held recently, either in the community or around the council table, and his council was working on better ways to use CoLAB’s services and have a joint tourism arm - Destination Hauraki Coromandel - that helps promote the Thames Coromandel and Hauraki districts.

In a joint statement, Hamilton East MP Ryan Hamilton, Coromandel MP Scott Simpson and Waikato MP Tim van de Molen said ratepayers in the region expect local government to focus on “delivering the basics brilliantly”, picking up rubbish, fixing water infrastructure and filling in potholes.

“We think the notion of shared services has been gaining momentum for some time with some progress made already but certainly more can be done.

“Minister Chris Penk is working on more clarity and consistency around cross boundary consenting for builders and developers.”

They said shared services, especially for water, could help councils streamline decision-making processes and establish council-controlled organisations for water services. T

“Ultimately, any decision to amalgamate councils is one that must be made with strong community engagement and local support.

“There is a formal process that councils must go through if they want to amalgamate, and that process is managed by the Local Government Commission.”

Te Pāti Māori MP for Hauraki-Waikato, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, said any amalgamations must consider the views of Māori, hapū and iwi in which local governance and decision making affects.

“It should include Māori at a decision-making level, not advisory.

“This also segues into the issue of Māori Wards asserting Te Tiriti rights to representation at a local level.

“We all know councils have major issues with infrastructure and whether the solution is to amalgamate or not the I think one of the key issues coming out is the voice of local people and making sure the voice of Māori is at the table.”