Takitimu Māori Ward candidate Bevan O’Connor has called for a binding referendum on amalgamation, saying the region can no longer afford the duplication and division of five separate councils.

“I’ve watched Mayoral and Council candidate debates this week in Havelock North and Napier. Not once did I hear the word amalgamation. But everywhere I go — in hui, online, and on the street — people tell me the same thing: we can’t afford our rates,” O’Connor said.

“Five councils. Five CEOs. Five sets of plans. Meanwhile Hastings is carrying hundreds of millions of cyclone debt alone. Napier expects debt to hit $500m in 10 years. We’re all in the same waka now. Kotahitanga is the answer: one council, one plan, one balance sheet, with local boards and guaranteed Māori representation to stay accountable to the people.”

O’Connor emphasised that amalgamation is not a new idea, and that the tide has shifted.

“This isn’t my invention. Amalgamation has been talked about in Hawke’s Bay for decades. Other commentators now say the real question isn’t whether but how. Central government reforms in water, RMA, and regional deals are already pushing councils to consolidate. Let’s front up and give the people the choice.”

He pointed to recent crises as tohu showing the cost of fragmentation:

Havelock North water contamination (2016)

Napier floods (2020)

Cyclone Gabrielle (2023)

Wairoa flooding (2024)

“The 2015 referendum result belongs to another era. Every few years another disaster hits us, and every time our councils scramble on their own - divided and under-resourced. What’s next? I hate to hazard a guess.”

“This is about making sure every dollar goes further, every voice is heard, and our region has the scale to negotiate strongly with central government and keep rates fair and sustainable. Every whānau deserves resilience and value for money, and not to be crushed by endless rate hikes.”

O’Connor is calling on the Local Government Commission and the region’s elected leaders to begin the process of investigating amalgamation and to put the question back to Hawke’s Bay people in a binding poll.

“It’s not too late – amalgamate. Let’s ask the people again, and this time build one Hawke’s Bay that’s fit for the long term, for our tamariki, for our mokopuna.”

© Scoop Media