Councillors mum about amalgamation options

Photo: Allied Media files

Speculation is rife about whether the Waitaki District Council will look north, south or west — or to all three — when it comes to amalgamation.

But local elected representatives are remaining tight-lipped for now about which districts they would want to work with.

A three-month deadline for voluntary involvement in the proposed shake-up of local authorities was announced last week by Resource Management Act Reform and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Local Government Minister Simon Watts.

Councils had three months to put forward proposals under the Head Start Pathway or they would have their structures imposed on them by the government, the ministers said.

Waitaki District Mayor Mel Tavendale was discussing the reforms with neighbouring and regional mayors, the council said in a statement.

Responding to the Oamaru Mail on behalf of councillors, Mrs Tavendale said Waitaki was "surrounded by many neighbours’’ who were "willing to enter into discussions".

"I believe our communities of interest, service levels and affordability all need to be taken into account in the discussions in front of us."

Responding separately, Cr Dan Lewis said it was "too early to name names".

That was "especially" the case as the councils also needed to work with Waitaki, but in general, councils which had the same values and goals were always going to be better than "those with different pressures and priorities".

Cr Jeremy Holding said Waitaki had "always been open to working with other councils on what shared services could look like’’ and where efficiencies could be gained.

"Those conversations are now accelerated," he said.

Cr Brent Cowles also said it was "too early to be naming names".

"Further conversations need to happen between mayors and councils together rather than through individual councillors. What I can say is the timeframe is genuinely tight — outline proposals are due to government by August 9."

"We already work closely with several neighbouring districts through Three Waters and other shared arrangements, and whether any of that translates into bigger conversations is something we’ll need to test quickly."

In an opinion piece published in Monday’s Otago Daily Times, Dunedin city councillors Lee Vandervis, Andrew Simms and Russell Lund wrote that a Dunedin-Waitaki authority with control of Port Otago was part of their preferred approach to local government amalgamation.

Commenting to the ODT, Mrs Tavendale said the port was an important asset for Otago and the entire region should have a say in its future.

‘‘I think discussions need to be had with the mayors across the Otago region before any potential amalgamations are proposed.’’

In the Waitaki council chamber this week, Cr Frans Schlack said it was "not just there to be taken over", while Cr Jim Hopkins described the Dunedin proposal as "simply a way to get control of the port".

Mrs Tavendale told councillors they needed a "better understanding’’ of what its options were, a report on Waitaki’s "non-negotiables" as well as data and more information.

There were a "whole load of regional conversations" to be had and there were multiple meetings scheduled over the next 10 days, she said.