MEDIA RELEASE

April 22, 2008

People in the west of Rodney want to join Waitakere

That is the thrust of a submission of the Helensville / Parakai Residents and Ratepayers Association’s to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance.

In its submission the group says western Rodney “naturally gravitates” to Waitakere, a point also made in Waitakere City Council’s own submission.

The association says it has never felt aligned for its social and economic interactions to eastern Rodney and that the area differs quite markedly in its lifestyle.

“We therefore suggest that in order to align our area to where we feel comfortable, and also most importantly to achieve a sustainable structure where cross subsidisation of a large urban area with small rural serviced towns is possible, we recommend the dissolution of Rodney District with the west joining Waitakere and the east becoming part of North Shore,” the submission says.

Helensville and Parakai have a population of around 4000 people living in 1300 households.

The council’s submission suggests there are communities of interest as well as natural and economic catchments which make western Rodney and the Avondale ward of Auckland City logical fits with the rest of Waitakere City.

"People work, play, go to school and shop across what are pretty artificial borders at the moment. It is a logical move," says Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey.

He adds recommendations from local body reform in 1989 initially had the Avondale/Blockhouse Bay area included in Waitakere City.

Waitakere also rejects any notion of a single (or "super") city to manage the region.

"There have been a lot of wild claims, but no proof, that a super city will bring financial benefit to ratepayers," Mayor Harvey says. "Our submission presents hard facts, not smoke and mirrors."

Public submissions to the Royal Commission close today (April 22).

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