Gore Mayor Ben Bell has accused the government of using council amalgamations as a deliberate distraction ahead of November’s general election. Mr Bell said throughout the country people were becoming frustrated with their councils, but he did not think this was by accident. “I don’t believe this anger is an accident. ”I think throwing local government into chaos, months before an election, is tactical. “It distracts and divides and it turns us away from one another, and I think we should have our eyes open to this fact. “There’s a reason this is happening at this time,” he said. Mr Bell, who was speaking at an extraordinary meeting of the Gore District Council on Tuesday, said councillors were being forced to make “one of the most confusing and consequential decisions our district has faced in less than three months”. “Frankly, in my opinion, that’s insane.” On Wednesday, Mr Bell stood by his comments and pointed the finger at the government once more for scapegoating councils in a time of heightened scrutiny. “I think there’s a lot of media and a lot of noise at the moment about councils. “I question the timing of everything. “Why are we trying to get this through before an election, divide communities before an election? “Timing is everything in politics. “Maybe it is just the way it is, but I would suspect it is not,” he said. When asked if these views were shared by other local government leaders, Mr Bell said they were mainly his personal views but there had been discussions in the space. “I’ve had conversations with other mayors and I think there’s a bit of a consensus out there. “I question the sequencing of things, the changing of the RMA, the spatial plans, Three Waters being set up. The timing all seems a bit confusing.” The council voted on Tuesday to pursue both the Invercargill and Southland District Council Head Start proposals. Following the at times fractious four-hour meeting, Mr Bell said in a statement several potential pathways remained under consideration. “At this stage we’re focused on understanding what arrangements best protect local representation, deliver value for ratepayers and strengthen Gore district’s future.” Council had also reserved the right to withdraw from any proposal if future modelling demonstrates a negative impact on Gore district ratepayers, he said. “Our bottom line is simple. Any proposal must work for Gore people. Until we see the detailed modelling, no final decisions have been made and all options will continue to be assessed against what’s best for our district.” The meeting began with Southland District Mayor Rob Scott speaking at length on his proposal for a two-unitary authority for the region. “The two-council proposal recognises reality, protects local voice and influence, while also allowing us to work together when it makes sense. “I am not here for me, I am here for we, and we are here for them,” he said. Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell and Environment Southland chairman Jeremy McPhail also spoke. Both were in support of a “one Southland” option, although Mr McPhail acknowledged concerns from both sides. Mr McPhail said he was not without his reservations, stating the future and the responsibilities made him feel as though “we’re trying to build a house and we don’t know who’s moving in or what they’re going to do”. Mr McPhail wished Gore District Council luck ahead of its vote. “You’ve got a really hard decision to make today”, words which would soon become prophetic. Mr Bell set the mood for the council as he explained “ultimately we’ve been given a set of options, where there isn’t a particularly good one for the Gore district”. After going through the six proposals put forward and multiple struck down amendments, the Gore District Council then voted to continue exploring reform proposals from both Invercargill City and Southland District Council. The deadline for the Head Start proposal is August 9, while the Local Government Commission investigation continues in tandem in its third phase.
