Kerre Woodham: Is there a case for amalgamation?

Government ministers gave councils an ultimatum yesterday: come up with your own plans for amalgamation within three months, or the Government will do it for you. Local Government Minister Simon Watts and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said there was broad support from councils – some were already gung-ho and proceeding with plans to amalgamate. One of them is Nelson Mayor Nick Smith. He's long held the view that merging with Tasman is the right thing to do for his city and cites common interests and unnecessary duplication. Back in 2012, Nelson voted in favour of amalgamation, Tasman voted against it. Tasman Mayor Tim King still prefers an arranged marriage – he wants to wait for the Government's backstop process, which would force reform before the 2028 local elections. King says he'd rather have central government just do it, decide on the country's local government model, rather than have all the arguments that come with trying to hash out, thrash out these sorts of governance arrangements for themselves. As King pointed out, the biggest problem councils face right now is financial pressure, and amalgamation won't necessarily save money, and it won't necessarily make everything magically better. 

Come on in, Auckland Super City! A prime example of amalgamation. Did it make things better? Back in 2010, the 1st of November to be exact, eight councils became one. And from that one big Super City Council, 21 local boards were created to focus on community issues. The council managed regional issues like transport and planning. The aim was, as Nick Smith said, to avoid unnecessary duplication and improve services. And I guess on paper it makes sense but back in 2020, on the 10 year anniversary of the Super City, some districts felt amalgamation hadn't really worked for them. 

Speaking to Radio New Zealand, former Franklin District Mayor Mark Ball said his community felt like a cash cow for the big smoke, that they had specific regional interests that weren't being represented at council level. He conceded that the water had got a lot better, the drinking water under the new structure was a lot better, but he said vital infrastructure like upgrading roads down south had been passed up in favour of bike paths in Auckland's CBD. He said elected members all love to build the shiny things, they love to have their Aotea Squares and go to the openings of this and that. Nobody ever wants to bury pipes. And he said, as an example of where your own region's specific needs are overlooked or misunderstood or not taken into account, some roads that had been built were too narrow for farming vehicles. Why would you possibly need a wide road? Says somebody driving a smart car in inner city Auckland. Because I've got a whopping great combine harvester, you numpty, would be the answer – and he said the town centres have been stripped of car parks. 

The thing that concerns me is that so few people take an interest in local body politics. So few. People could be getting up to God knows what with God knows who and you wouldn't have a clue until it's all too late because nobody takes an interest, nobody goes to the meeting – well, very few. I'm exaggerating for effect. Very few people go along to the council meetings, very few people bother to vote. So they can decide what you like and you go, oh, I don't think this is very good, I don't like this, and well, too bad. You didn't care. You care now. I find it really interesting that when it comes to amalgamation, trying to get these disparate interests all working together as one, and the case that Mark Ball cites is a really good one. Franklin needs new roads. Right then, let's build them. Oh, they're not big enough for farming vehicles – you know it's because nobody knew. 

The Far North seems to be quite keen to amalgamate. They're first out of the blocks. Far North, Whangārei, Kaipara, and the Northland Regional Councils are looking to merge into one or two authorities. But the difference between the West Coast and the East Coast is phenomenal. There's a line you cross when you're driving from Hokianga to Kerikeri and you know that you've crossed it, that you're on the East Coast now. How do you get fair representation and, and manage to lobby for what's important in your area when the needs in the other area are so, so different?  

On the West Coast of the South Island, they're also keen. Grey and Hokitika District Councils are considering merging into a unitary authority with Westland Regional Council. Buller's like, no thanks very much. Not for me. They'll go at it alone. So if you are one of the few in the country that is taking an interest in local body politics, if you are one of the few in the country that cares about what happens in your region, where your rates go, how they're spent, whether you'll get fair representation when a merger happens because it's a matter of wh

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carrywood and Mornings podcast from News
Talks hed B.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Government ministers gave councils an ultimatum yesterday come up with
your own plans for amalgamation within three months, or the
government will do it for you. Local Government Minister Simon
Watts and RMA reform Minister Chris Bishop said there was
broad support from councils. Some were already gung ho and

(00:32):
proceeding with plans to amalgamate. One of them is Nelson
mere Nick Smith. He's long held the view that merging
with Tasman is the right thing to do for his
city and sites common interests and unnecessary duplication. Back in
twenty twelve, Nelson voted in favor of amalgamation, Tasman voted

(00:54):
against it, and Tasman Mayor Tim King still prefers an
arranged marriage. He wants to wait for the government's backstop process,
which would force reform before the twenty twenty eight local elections.
King says he'd rather have central government just do it
decide on the country's local government model, rather than have

(01:18):
all the arguments that come with trying to hash out
thrash out these sorts of governance arrangements for themselves. As
King pointed out, the biggest problem council's face right now
is financial pressure and amalgamation won't necessarily save money and
it won't necessarily make everything magically better. Come on in

(01:41):
Auckland's Supercity as a prime example of amalgamation. Did it
make things better? Back in twenty ten the first of
November to be exact, eight councils became one and from
that one big super City Council. Twenty one local boards

(02:05):
were created to focus on community issues. The council managed
regional issues like transport and planning. The aim was, as
Nick Smith said, to avoid unnecessary duplication and improved services.
And I guess on paper it makes sense. But back
in twenty ten on the in twenty twenty sorry, on

(02:25):
the ten year anniversary of the Supercity, some districts felt
amalgamation hadn't really worked for them. Speaking to Radio in
New Zealand, former Franklin District mayor Mark Ball said his
community Franklin felt like a cash cow for the Big Smoke,
that they had specific regional interests that weren't being represented

(02:50):
at council level. He conceded that the water had got
a lot better. The drinking water under the news structure
was a lot better. But he said vital infrastructure like
upgrading roads down south had been passed up in favor
of bike paths. In Auckland's CBD. He said elected members
all love to build the shiny things, They love to

(03:11):
have the altair squares and go to the openings of this,
and that nobody ever wants to bury pipes. And he
said as an example of where your own region specific
needs are overlooked or misunderstood or not taken into account,
some roads that had been built were too narrow for

(03:32):
farming vehicles. Why would you possibly need a wide road,
says somebody driving a smart car and inner city Auckland,
because I've got a whopping great combine harvesty and numpty
would be the answer. And he said the town centers
have been stripped of car parks, So when it comes
to amalgamation, I'd be really really interested to hear what

(03:54):
you have to say. And the thing that concerns me
is that so few people take an interest in local
body politics. So few people could be getting up to
god knows what, God knows who, and you wouldn't have
a clue until it's all too late because nobody takes
an interest. Nobody goes to the meeting. Well, very few,

(04:14):
I'm exaggerating for effect. Very few people go along to
the council meetings. Very few people for the devote so
they can decide what you like, and you go, oh,
I don't think this is very good. I don't like this,
and well, too bad, you didn't care. You care now.
I find it really interesting that it comes to when

(04:36):
it comes to amalgamation, trying to get these disparate interests
all working together as one. And the case that Mark
bullsites is a really good one. Franklin needs new roads, right,
then let's build them. Oh they're not big enough for
farming vehicles. You know it's because nobody knew. Also, when

(05:01):
you look at I mean, the Far North seems to
be quite keen to amalgamate. They're first out of the blocks.
Far North, Far Ay, Kaiper and Northland Regional Councils are
looking to merge into one or two authorities. But the
difference between the West Coast and the East Coast is phenomenal.

(05:22):
There's a line you cross when you're driving from Haukyanga
to Kitty Kitty and you know that you've crossed it.
You're on East Coast now, flesh, How do you get
fair representation and managed to lobby for what's important in

(05:44):
your area when the needs in the other area are
so so different. On the west coast of the South Island,
they are also Ken Gray and hawk a Tika District
councils are considering merging into an unitary authority with Western
Regional Council Baller's Lake. No, thanks very much, not for me.
They'll go it alone. So, if you are one of

(06:07):
the few in the country that is taking an interest
in local body politics, if you are one of the
few in the country that cares about what happens in
your region, where your rates go, how they're spent, whether
you'll get fair representation when a merger happens, because it's
a matter of when, not if, is it going to
work for your area? Can you see a case for it?

Speaker 1 (06:27):
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