Kaikōura accelerates merger decision

David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Kaikōura’s council plans to decide which neighbour it wants to buddy up with by July 8 - about a month before the Government deadline.

Council chief executive Will Doughty told Local Democracy Reporting an extraordinary council meeting is being planned for Wednesday, July 8, to decide whether to prepare a proposal with Marlborough or North Canterbury.

‘‘I think we’ve got to make a decision soon if we are [to] achieve the deadline of the 9th of August. We can’t run with two options right up to the last minute.’’

Government has given councils until August 9 to prepare a ‘‘Headstart’’ proposal for amalgamation, with new arrangements to be in place for the 2028 local government elections.

Councils have been warned there could be forced mergers if they don't put forward a plan.

An alliance with Marlborough District Council had the strongest support in a Kaikōura council survey, but Marlborough is already a unitary council and it was unclear whether it wanted to merge, Mr Doughty said.

‘‘If it’s not something they would support, it would reduce the options even further. I think one of the challenges is this process should take a lot longer than the timeframes the Government has given us.’’

Mr Doughty and Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle are hoping to meet with Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor and chief executive John Boswell on Tuesday, June 30.

The alternative is forming a North Canterbury unitary council with the Hurunui and Waimakariri district councils.

Kaikōura has strong connections with its southern neighbours through shared service arrangements and the Canterbury Mayoral Forum.

All three districts are served by the Canterbury Regional Council, which will be abolished under the Government reforms.

Three residents expressed a preference for a Marlborough alliance during a public forum at a council meeting on Wednesday, June 24.

Marlborough called 'logical partner'

Clarence Valley farmer and former councillor Derrick Millton said the Marlborough District Council has been a successful unity council for 30 years.

‘‘It has a very smart operation. If you go with Hurunui, you are going to have more of the same problems of managing a large rural area and roading without the ratepayer base.’’

Kaikōura business owner Mel Skinner said the district had strong connections with Marlborough through the marine, tourism and wine sectors.

‘‘We shouldn’t be consumed by Waimakariri and Hurunui needing us to make up the numbers to avoid being absorbed into Greater Christchurch. Rather than being bogged down in creating a unitary council, you can focus on local issues for the next two years, by going with Marlborough.’’

Kaikōura resident Ralph Hogan said he was ‘‘dismayed’’ at Government’s mandate and would prefer Kaikōura being left alone.

‘‘We have eight elected members with diverse views. This is going to be the most disruptive event in Kaikōura for over a decade. We are heading straight for a huge iceberg, but we haven’t hit it yet.’’

But forced to choose, Marlborough was the ‘‘most logical partner’’, he said.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.