MEDIA RELEASE

15th September 2015

Hawkes Bay result a victory for local democracy.

[Statement from David Thornton – Founder NoMoreRates]

With the rejection of amalgamations in Wellington and Northland, and now Hawkes Bay, it is now clear that New Zealand has had enough of SuperCity style local government.

There is always room for improvement in how local councils perform and are structured, but the essential ingredient is local democracy.

Auckland has clearly demonstrated that the local has been effectively removed from local government..

City Hall and its citizens no longer connect in Auckland.

People have no connection with their local councillor and the Governing Body is dysfunctional and at the mercy of an increasing large body of bureaucrats.

Hawkes Bay has recognised the un-democratic outcome of large-scale amalgamations and has sent a clear message to the Government that SuperCity is neither local nor democratic.

This is a personal rejection of Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule and a blow to the ambitions of the bureaucrats at Local Government New Zealand of which Mr Yule is a long-time President.

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