Lyn Patterson - Mayor
Supports amalgamation.
What is your position on the draft proposal and, importantly, why?
My personal view is: - I support a Wairarapa District Council. Why? This is not about our yesterdays or even our todays – it is about our tomorrows.
The services that local government deliver are facing increasing challenges and also increasing opportunities. In order for us to capitalise on these we need to be forward thinking and embracing the future so that our communities get the essential, effective and efficient public services that they deserve. This is best addressed as a region with the increased capacity and capability that a Wairarapa Council will enable.
We have an exciting opportunity here – let a Wairarapa District Council deal with the strategic issues and let us empower the community boards by giving them delegated authority and funding to be responsive to their particular community.
Let us not waste this opportunity.
What is a specific issue (a problem or opportunity) that you believe amalgamation will address and how will it address it?
The following is a list of what local government is currently involved with which is on top of business as usual.
When you read this list imagine how much more we could get done for our community if we weren’t doing the following in triplicate.
- GWRC: Whaitua Committee, Floodplain Management Plans - Upper Ruamahunga, Draft Natural Resources Plan
- Water Wairarapa
- Treaty of Waitangi settlements – Statutory Board Wairarapa Moana, sub committee Ruamahunga Catchment
- Clean Water targets – Minister Nick Smith
- Government Policy Statement on Land Transport
- Wellington Regional Transport Committee
- Wellington Regional Strategy Committee
- Roads: Safer Speed Guidelines and One Network Road Classification
- Resource Management Amendments
- Dog Control changes re menacing dogs
- Draft Rangatahi Strategy
- Developing a Climate Change Strategy
- Earthquake Prone Buildings – new regulations
- Wairarapa Coastal Strategy
- Predator Free NZ
- National Cat Strategy
- Review Combined District Plan
- Marine Protection Area
- Freedom Camping
- Tourism – regional Tourism Facilities Fund
- Waste Management and Minimisation Plan Review
- Risk Agency review
- Biodiversity Strategy
- Local Government Act amendments
- Connectivity – rural broadband and mobile blackspots
This is not a total list but a lot for three Councils to be each dealing with.
What tangible benefits could amalgamation bring for ratepayers and how will amalgamation achieve them?
The list in response to question 2 shows some of what the three Councils are involved with outside of business as usual. Do we each do a good job? Yes we do our best BUT we could do so much better as a region with more capacity and capability.
There would be one set of rules and policies. Business, farmers, organisations do not see the boundary line when they cross the Waingawa river. After all it is a line drawn on a map. That together with the three Annual Plans, three long term plans, servicing three Councils, serving all three Council committees, workshops and advisory groups takes an enormous amount of resource.
Imagine the time and energy saved and the increased productivity if business was dealing with one set of rules and policies and Council staff weren’t resourcing all three Councils and there planning processes.
This added resource would result in Better service delivery, better environmental outcomes, better advocacy and better local government.
What are the risks of amalgamation, and if any, how will they be mitigated?
All change brings uncertainty and uncertainty creates some risks. What we should be is future focused and thinking about the risks if we do not amalgamate. Our region will be left behind.
In local government terms a Wairarapa District Council will not be a big Council, it won’t be a big bureaucracy. It will be a middle sized Council similar on a population basis to Upper Hutt, Whanganui and Timaru.
Let us be bold, courageous and future focused and not miss this opportunity to be a strong cohesive region where all that live have the best quality of life.
