The "10 reasons why" - assessed

A group of organisations (lead by the Wairarapa Chamber of Commerce) and people are backing the proposed amalgamation and have issued a leaflet with a list of "One Council: 10 reasons why".

Here is our take on those ten reasons.

Did mayors and councillors submissions to the LGC support or oppose the draft proposal?

Wairarapa Voice has viewed and analysed the submissions made by councillors and mayors on the draft proposal to amalgamate the three councils into a single council. 

What can we learn from the Supercity draft proposal?

How was it that the 2014 proposed Unitary Authority was unafffordable but the proposed Wairarapa District Council is considered to be?

The Variable Estimates of the LGC

What confidence can citizens have in the cost and savings estimates published in the draft proposal?

The graph below shows how three estimates have changed considerably in the documents the LGC has published.

Chart of estimates from the LGC - 2014, 2016, 2017

Questions, questions, questions

This blog post is a number of questions posed by one of our members.

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.
- Voltaire

Case Studies

What case studies are amalgamation proponents basing their arguments on? Not Auckland: not mentioning deamalgamations in Australia? A dated solution to a problem that they have not yet stated?

The pressing matter of water

by Mary Tipoki

Twenty odd years ago water was a topic that was barely given serious consideration.  Freely available, easy to dispose of, a fundamental part of our lives, supposedly an infinite resource and taken for granted.  Perhaps this is why when considering the issue of amalgamation water has become so important.  

Carterton District Council Position Statement on Amalgamation

The Carterton Distirct Council had their full council meeting on Wednesday 5th April. The agenda included a Report on the Position Statement on the locl Government Commission's Draft Proposal for Wairarapa Council.

Two members of Wairarapa Voice, Ron Shaw and Mike Osborne, spoke in the public forum that leads the council meeting.

From zero to 10 in six months

In the draft proposal document there has been a big jump, a $10m jump in the net financial position after ten years of amalgamation compared with the Assessment of Wairarapa Local Government Options document from June last year.