Don’t fall for pro-amalgamation hype

A decision on Hawke’s Bay council structure is not life changing although a no vote will save you a lot of money, Mike Butler of Hastings Against Amalgamation said today.

The proposed amalgamation of the five Hawke’s Bay councils with a headquarters in Napier has been sold using feel-good slogans, but the final proposal has nothing to do with the promises of those slogans, Mr Butler said.

More cooperation is certainly desirable, but the final proposal has no plan to build a strong region, he said.

Less bureaucracy would be great, but the final proposal is silent on what an amalgamated bureaucracy would look like and we can expect one expensive CEO, an expensive senior management team, and higher salaries through the structure, Mr Butler said.

The final proposal would bring a three-tier system of toothless local boards, a council, plus three boards -- an iwi-council regional planning committee, a Maori board, and a natural resources board -- all of which would slow down and complicate every consent application, Mr Butler said.

A stronger unified voice would be a plus, but the final proposal would submerge the sense of community of Napier, Hastings, Wairoa, and Central Hawke’s Bay, in a faceless super council.

And this super council would meddle in health, jobs, education, housing, and business.

More investment in the region would always help, but be wary of any proposal that gives your rates money to their business cronies to grow their economy.

The final proposal says $8.6-million a year savings is a big deal without saying $8.6-million is just three percent of current total council expenditure, he said.

The final proposal also says that everyone would pay the Hastings debt of $80-million after 2021 and this is a big no-no for everyone outside Hastings.

Read the final proposal. Don’t fall for amalgamation hype. Vote no to amalgamation when voting papers arrive on August 24, Mr Butler said.

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