The rolling debate on Local Government Reform hit Hutt City in the form of a discussion conducted by Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce when ideas on Local Government Reform were put forward. Those doing the talking were the chair of Greater Wellington Regional Council Fran Wilde, Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy, Auckland Chamber representative, Michael Barnett, and myself.
One message to emerge was that Auckland is still waiting to catch the benefits of a Super City and that maybe Wellington should not just be following them.
One single structure has perceived benefits of one single administration but clearly the process of democracy misses out as the local voice has difficulty getting heard.
Our alternatives are stay as we are with expanded shared services or become a united Hutt Valley, as one of three unitary authorities or councils. The others would be Wairarapa and a third would comprise Wellington City, Porirua and Kapiti. The regional council would be disbanded.
My belief is that the community needs to have its voice heard in this discussion and not have a one city with two options put forward as though that is all there is.
My comments to meeting, in broad terms, were along the following lines:
No Super City – that is what our people of Lower Hutt tell us. And I agree. Why, because
o Our residents want to retain their strong local voice and decision-making
o Hutt City is financially sound – at least 84 per cent of our people are happy with the way their rates are spent
o Our rates have been consistently the lowest in the country for nearly a decade
o And we will be the lowest again this year
o We have good infrastructure and are investing in new community services and facilities
o We have low debt – councils seeking a Super city all have high debt and higher rates than Hutt City – a forecast for this year is around 3.5 per cent for all councils other than Hutt City.
For business in Lower Hutt the messages are good
· Our council is committed to reducing the business rating differential…this will make it fairer for business ratepayers.
· Under our forecast in the annual plan for next year, business rates will reduce by 2.5 per cent.
· I have pledged to keep our rates within the CPI long into the future.
· Our business stimulus package of more than $1 million a year is also working.
· New businesses are making decisions based on the savings they will achieve and are setting up in Lower Hutt.
· Our science and technology base is strong
· We have the Callaghan Innovation centre and more than 800 businesses with links to technology enterprise.
· We are looking at future proofing the city with a robust urban growth strategy
· This includes plans for between 5000 and 7500 new houses within the next 20 years.
· This will allow business to expand within our city and generate its own financial benefits for the city.
Our people have said, if you are going to have change, we would prefer to go with Upper Hutt – this would mean three unitary authorities.
· One authority would cover the Hutt Valley where Upper and Lower Hutt would combine,
· Another would be a Wellington, Porirua, Kapiti council and Wairarapa would have their own authority.
· We could live with that. It would also work.
· There would be no Greater Wellington Regional Authority – and that would mean a significant saving.
· Services currently delivered by this organisation could easily be delivered by the three unitary councils. Some truly regionally based services, such as public transport, could be delivered effectively by council owned companies, most of which already exist.
· We have done work of our own on efficiencies
· As part of our review about which options are going to deliver efficiencies, bigger is not better.
· Three unitary authorities would provide the best bang for buck with the greatest efficiencies compared with any other model.
· In the end, that is what matters.
· The dangers of a Super city include the local voice being lost.
· Businesses would be forced to deal with a faceless bureaucracy likely to be based in Wellington.
· A super city faces being polarised along central government party lines and being dominated by big city voices.
· Local government should always be non-partisan.
· The process for Local Government Reform will be a case being lodged with the Local Government Commission for change.
· The commission will then decide if the case lodged has merit.
· It will then seek other submissions. It is then that Lower Hutt would put forward its option – a Hutt Valley Unitary Authority.
· Meanwhile, the Joint Working Party on Local Government Reform is currently engaging with the community to gather support for a Super city nobody wants.
· They are placing advertising, holdings meeting and staging a poll to win over our communities.
· They hope to put a case to the commission showing demonstrable community support for a Super City.
· My vote is for the community I serve – the good people of Lower Hutt.
· I want to see our council continue to support business growth in Lower Hutt by being focused on the needs of our community.
· And I have made a public pledge, along with my fellow councillors, to represent the views of our community and to ensure their voice is heard.
