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Hurunui residents have given overwhelming support for a North Canterbury unitary council, following the council’s largest ever survey.
The Hurunui District Council received 1162 responses, with 957 (84 percent) selecting a North Canterbury unitary council, with the Waimakariri and Kaikōura districts, as their preferred option.
Five options were presented to residents, with 1136 (97%) responses indicating they wanted the council to participate in the Government’s Head Start process.
The results were presented to councillors at a meeting on Tuesday, August 4, ahead of a council vote on Thursday afternoon, August 6.
Councils have until August 9 to present proposals for forming unitary councils, which would take on regional council functions.
The Kaikōura District Council has already decided to draft a merger proposal with the Marlborough District Council, while Waimakariri’s preferred option is a North Canterbury council.
Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said it was ‘‘a sentiment survey’’ rather than a formal poll, but it should give some guidance to councillors ahead of Thursday’s vote.
‘‘I think you can take heart at the responses from the community, which is bigger than we have ever had before,’’ he told councillors.
‘‘It is relatively clearcut. However, it will be just one factor you will weigh up.’’
Mayor Marie Black said councillors will have had their own conversations with constituents, to give them a flavour of community sentiment.
‘‘In my time on the council, this would be the most significant number of responses we’ve had and the numbers reflect the importance of this issue.’’
While the North Canterbury option was the overwhelming favourite, residents also considered northeast South Island (with Kaikōura and Marlborough), north/central rural Canterbury, rural Canterbury and central South Island (with the West Coast) options.
The two rural Canterbury options would exclude the urban parts of Waimakariri, Christchurch and Selwyn districts and relied on a Greater Christchurch council being formed.
Respondents were asked to rank the five options, with the northeast South Island option receiving the most second preference support, ahead of the rural Canterbury options.
Councillors will meeting again on Thursday afternoon to consider their preferred Head Start option ahead of the Government’s deadline.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
