Media release

21 June 2013

Application for two-tier Wellington council with local boards submitted to Local Government Commission.

The Wellington Regional Council today lodged its application to the Local Government Commission recommending the creation of a new two-tier Wellington Council to replace the existing nine territorial authorities in the region.

The Application for Local Government Reorganisation was delivered to the Local Government Commission this morning by regional council chair Fran Wilde, who says the application is an important step towards ensuring the Wellington region gets the strong, cohesive local government it deserves.

“For our region to truly prosper we need to start making decisions on a regional level and ensuring that decisions made in one area complement decisions being made for other areas.

“By unifying the nine councils that currently operate in the region into one authority, we can cut through the bureaucracy, red tape and duplication to not only ensure greater consistency of service but also to provide a strong voice for the region.

“We can also ensure that local democracy is retained through the creation of local boards with substantial powers of decision and budgeting on community issues,” Wilde says.

The application supports a two-tier council model, comprising a governing body of 22 members and eight local boards each with up to nine members. It was informed by the Working Party on Local Government Reform, which represented the four Wellington councils and considered 1892 public submissions.

“After much consultation and analysis, we believe that this will provide the right mix of regional and local thinking with the governing body being able to think and act regionally, while being complemented by local boards representing their communities,” Ms Wilde says.

The application has been supported by a number of organisations and community groups, including Porirua City Council, Better Wairarapa Group and Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce.

Ms Wilde reiterated that the final form of any proposal for the Wellington region would be determined by the Local Government Commission, which also provides a platform for the community to have their say.

For a full copy of the report visit www.gw.govt.nz/regional-governance

ENDS

© Scoop Media