16 July 2015
Amalgamation debate needs to stick to the facts

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton is scaremongering over amalgamation and needs to keep the fiction away from the facts, says A Better Hawke’s Bay Chairman, Rebecca Turner.

Ms Turner said Mr Dalton’s recent anti-amalgamation opinion columns and social media posts were continuing to “clutch at straws” and he needed to take the upcoming vote more seriously.

“Saying no for no’s sake doesn’t wash and I’m beginning to wonder if he has even bothered to read the Local Government Commission’s final proposal,” said Ms Turner.

“For example, he claims that $10-million of savings per annum under one Hawke’s Bay Council was “plucked out of thin air” by pro-amalgamation lobby, but this figure has been presented within three independent reports – one of which was jointly commissioned by all Councils, including his own,” she said.

Ms Turner said it was imperative that leaders took their own personal egos out of the equation to allow Hawke’s Bay people to learn more about the final proposal put forward by the Local Government Commission.

“Hawke’s Bay is fortunate to be in a position where it has the ability to think and act on its future governance.

“Yes there will be robust debate between those for and against, but there is a responsibility to keep propaganda out.

“We owe it to the people to present as many facts on amalgamation as possible so that they are better equipped to vote,” she said.

Ms Turner said that Mr Dalton’s claims there would be no cost savings together with staff increases was ludicrous.

“Trying to compare Auckland’s governance structure covering 1.42 million people with Hawke’s Bay’s population of just 150,000 is a weak argument and one I think people are tired of.

“Auckland and Hawke’s Bay are poles apart in almost every aspect of living, local infrastructure and transport issues. We just don’t compare to Auckland and never will.”

The Local Government Commission has estimated that major sources of savings would include:
· 37% Corporate personnel
· 30% Other corporate activities
· 14% Operational expenditure
· 9% Capital expenditure
· 6% Governance
· 4% Audit costs

The Local Government Commission’s report can be read online at http://lgc.govt.nz/assets/Hawkes-Bay-June-2015/Hawkes-Bay-Proposal-June-2015.pdf

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