Stratford warned single council might be best

Stratford councillors have been cautioned not to dismiss the idea of a single council for Taranaki, despite the district leaning towards two councils to cover the region.

The Government has ordered councils to amalgamate, aiming for simpler and cheaper local government.

It has given councils until August 9 to come up with reform proposals.

Stratford District Council is looking to combine with neighbouring South Taranaki in a unitary authority, excluding New Plymouth District Council (NPDC).

The smaller councils fear being dominated by New Plymouth, which has 70 percent of the region's population.

Graham Young says Ngāti Ruanui wants relationships to have more weight than savings in council reform.

Stratford councillors heard public submissions on the reforms on Tuesday including from Mary Bourke, a 16-year resident and former mayor of South Taranaki.

She said she didn’t necessarily oppose two councils for Taranaki and didn’t want to be “bullied” by NPDC.

But Bourke said the region’s four councils might need to join together instead of each spending millions to respond to Government reforms.

“It may well be that in a region as compact as ours a single unitary authority could now work.

“We will never be in a stronger position to negotiate the best outcomes for our people as part of a larger entity than now.”

Mary Bourke says Taranaki has its best chance right now to negotiate a strong single council.

Stratford council’s online poll drew 633 responses and ran 83 percent against merging with New Plymouth.

But Bill Davies, a Te Popo farmer who’s lived in the district for over 50 years, said he had many concerns including whether teaming up only with South Taranaki would be best.

“I can understand the desire for a local council separate from the city, but I don’t know if they’ll be strong enough to stand for the long term – 30 years or more.

“Is that a realistic option to best utilise the resources and benefit from facilities that service the whole province?”

Ngāti Ruanui iwi recapped the presentation it gave South Taranaki the day before, backing two councils.

Te Runanga o Ngāti Ruanui policy manager Graham Young said a single council would inevitably be based in New Plymouth.

“Our ability to build relationships and maintain them at such a distance, and when they’d have so many competing voices to deal with, dilutes our ability to be part of the solution.”

Young said economies of scale might make a single council cheaper.

“But we interact in partnerships that we want to see endure,” he argued.

“They are about people, and they are about relationships, and that should have a higher weighting.”

Stratford will finalise its position at a special council meeting next Monday.

nā Craig Ashworth craig@tekorimako.co.nz

LDR is local body journalism hosted by Te Korimako o Taranaki and funded by Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa and Irirangi te Motu