From the Mayor
Time has ticked on since the first arguments around the pros and cons of local government reorganisation. Quite a lot of time actually as the proposal for a super city including Wairarapa was lodged in May 2013. Since then submissions have been called for, hearings held and we have waited for an outcome…..and waited….and waited.
Well, it looks like the waiting may be over with the tom toms telling us to expect an announcement in early to mid-June.
What that announcement will say is still anyone’s guess. There’s no doubt that right across the Wellington region there was little support for the super-city concept proposed, even in the cities, which it was supposed to benefit by streamlining functions. In Hutt Valley and Wairarapa the message was a resounding no thanks.
So where to from here? The Local Government Commission will have no desire to present a final proposal that will fail as the super-city concept seems doomed to do. Will it suggest a ‘back to the drawing board’ approach retaining status quo for the time being or come out with a compromise position? The compromise may be the best way forward but could well be at odds with the arguments used to support the super-city in the first place. That places them in a position of having to justify why they’ve changed their minds.
Whatever the outcome, South Wairarapa District Council is in an extremely healthy position. For us, we are carrying on with ‘business as usual’ and look forward to working for our communities for the foreseeable future.
Adrienne Staples
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