Kia ora koutou, this week in my letter-box was a nicely printed, well set out brochure. Would have cost a mint to get enough posted into every letter-box in the areas it hopes to get votes. Someone or some body of people has a well of money to draw on.
The brochure wants (it says) to give us the facts re the sucking up of all local bodies and councils from Wellington to Wairarapa and every one in between into one Goliath of a structure called Welington Super City.
It is proposed to replace the –
Greater Wellington Regional Council,
Carterton District Council,
Hutt City Council,
Kapiti Coast District Council,
Masterton District Council,
Porirua City Council,
South Wairarapa District Council
Wellington City Council
with this Monster called Wellington Super City.
I do not support such a move.
Why? All sorts of reasons but here’s one.
The requirement to hold a public vote was abolished by the National Government in 2012 and replaced with a provision that it would allow a public vote if 10% of voting age residents of an affected area sign a petition requiring such a vote within 60 working days.
We all know that voter interest in local body issues is around zilch and that requiring that many signatures in that amount of time would be, not impossible, but hard.
But wait – instead of holding a vote in the area wanting the change (or not), a single vote is held over the whole area. Which means that residents of Porirua City and Wellington City, simply because there are more of them will have more say over, for example, Kapiti Coast, Masterton, or Upper Hutt. Would be much easier to get 10% voters to sign in those higher populated areas than it would be in say Kapiti or Carterton or Upper Hutt.
Once it clicks that they have the voting power over these smaller populated communities what is to stop those more densely populated areas from putting themselves, the drivers of this proposal, and their own issues first?
All the little places, the Paekakariki(s), the Otaki(s), of every area will be swallowed up like nibbles served with drinks before dinner. What they might want will be swept aside because there is no way in hell they can get 10% of any vote in the same way as more densely populated areas can.
Where do you live? Even if your area is bigger than Otaki you’re not safe. If Goliath wants to gobble you up, s/he will.
The councils we have are not perfect but they able to be contacted – we know the councillors, we know that while it might be hard, sometimes our voices are heard. What hope would we have with a super city where you can’t even get a park without spending your life savings.
It is time for every Davina or David to stand up to the monster.
