We asked people across the South what they think of the government’s plan to force councils to amalgamate.
Sam Corson, Alexandra
‘‘I wouldn’t want to merge with Queenstown council. I feel like they make poor decisions. I came from there and I’ve watched it go downhill. With small councils you may not always get what you want, but you will get heard.
‘‘It’s sad if it goes ahead. I don’t see how amalgamation will do anything besides spread money thin.’’
Erica Betts, Dunedin
"I don’t like the potential job losses but it might put down the costs of having two different rates, so in that sense I support it.
‘‘It’s different, [other district councils have] got different priorities to Dunedin and I don’t think [merging] would be a good idea.’’
Julian Jones, Dunedin
‘‘You’re centralising which can lead to better efficiency, but also cuts out some concerns on the lower level.
‘‘In a rural area ... they probably wouldn’t be in favour of it.
‘‘You’d lose a lot of that bottom-up input on decision-making.’’
Sandy Spain, Alexandra
‘‘I think they’ve all got problems of their own,and they can’t control what they’ve got at the moment.
‘‘I’d be very dubious about getting involved with Queenstown council.
‘‘Seem to be a problem to themselves, and I wouldn’t want to be associated with them in any way.’’
Tom McIntyre, Alexandra
‘‘Change may be a good thing in some ways, such as it may reduce duplication in rules.
‘‘I think the biggest issue here would be Central Otago maintaining its distinctiveness. A one-size-fits-all approach could be to the detriment of Central Otago if not carefully considered.’’
Wayne Pretty, Wānaka
‘‘I believe district councils know their areas way better than regional councils.’’
‘‘District councillors have a bit more of a finger on the pulse.
‘‘We could definitely thin things out a bit, but if it happens decisions won’t be as locally thought out.’’
Mark Mountcastle, Wānaka
‘‘I think there’s too many of them [councils], no question about that.
‘‘They’re probably trying to strip the costs out of governance.
‘‘Experience suggests putting councils together doesn’t necessarily take costs out, so I’m not sure.’’
Greta Buckingham, Tokanui
‘‘Yes I’m against [the amalgamation]. They should stop and plan it, get it right.
‘‘Southland District Council have their area and if you add in Gore, that’s going to need a lot of talking about.’’
