Ratepayers should decide future of supercity proposal say Labour Councillors

Labour’s Wellington City Councillors are calling on the people of the Wellington region to express their views about a proposed “supercity” covering Wellington, the Hutts, Porirua, Kapiti and Wairarapa.

Councillors Paul Eagle and Mark Peck say the proposal will impact on local democracy and Wellingtonians will only have small windows to have their say on proposals.

"It’s very important that people take the opportunities to express their views on the future governance of our region. The decision should not be left solely in the hands of officials and politicians.”

Submissions on the proposed supercity close at 4pm on Monday 2 March 2015.

The two Councillors say they will work with Labour MPs in the city and encourage ratepayers to make submissions over the coming weeks. Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson has already set upwww.wellingtonhaveyoursay.co.nz – a website for people to sign up to a campaign to generate submissions on the proposal and ensure there is a referendum.

Once a final proposal is chosen, it only takes 10 percent of ratepayers in any of the existing council areas to trigger a referendum.

"What matters most is that the people of our region who pay for the services they receive, have the final say through a referendum on the future governance of their region. That's called local democracy."

ENDS

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