Kaikōura merger popular with Marlburians

Marlburians see a future with Kaikōura. That affirmation will come to councillors on Thursday morning barring a massive shift in public response on Council’s online survey closing midday Wednesday.

From 203 published submissions (out of 235 total) through Tuesday morning, three in four respondents favour Marlborough merging with Kaikōura, with one in seven opposed and the remainder unsure.

The exact question: “If Marlborough District Council is able to address the concerns raised by the public in our first survey, do you support us submitting an amalgamation proposal with Kaikōura District Council to the Government?”

Council will hold an extraordinary meeting at 9am on Thursday to receive the results and hear an update on exploratory discussions between the districts. Per the agenda language, councillors can decide on the potential merger “if appropriate” during this meeting.

The last time Council held a public discussion, at a 17 July workshop, officials indicated a decision date of 7 August in order to meet the 9 August deadline set by Government for proposals.