30 October 2012

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE FROM GREATER WELLINGTON AND PORIRUA CITY COUNCILS

Leaders welcome ‘substantial and significant’ report on local government

Wellington Regional Council Chair Fran Wilde and Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett have welcomed the release of a report on local government reform in the Wellington region, calling it ‘substantial and significant’.

The independent Local Government Review Panel today recommended one council for the whole of the region, led by a Lord Mayor and supported by six local area councils delivering many of the services that city and district councils currently deliver.

“On first reading, our reaction is that the Panel’s recommendations are well researched and will result in far more strategic and integrated regional leadership with the retention of authentic local democracy.

"This is a far cry from a single-tier 'super city' and reflects widespread concerns we have heard round the region about how local government is currently functioning,” Leggett and Wilde said.

“The Regional Council and Porirua City will be examining the report in detail and discussing it with other local councils. We also want to get the recommendations widely publicised because these issues affect everyone in the region”.

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