Regional govt ‘unnecessary’

Press, 8 April 1988, Page 4

Regional govt ‘unnecessary’

Regional government would be unnecessary if territorial local authorities were balanced and efficient, according to a Wairewa County Council report. The report is the council’s response to a discussion document on the reform of local and regional government written by the Officials CoOrdinating Committee bn Local Government.

The report said that if regional government was necessary it should be similar to the united council principal with uniform administration over all authorities controlling soil and water, town and country planning, civil defence and urban transport. Wairewa County Council administers one of the smallest counties in New Zealand. It said its size enabled it to supervise projects closely, keep in touch with the community and be easily accessible. While not totally opposed to the amalgamation of authorities, it said it should be done wisely and not forced. Local authorities should retain the essential services of a rural community. Wairewa included in these medical, postal, fire services and pre-school education facilities.

Greater public account-

ability would be ensured if the council balanced its own books and is its own management team. This approach also saved the ratepayer money, the value of any local authority’s assets should be returned to the community and the sale made preferably by public auction. The council 1 said that special purpose authorities must be retained: because the knowledge |of their staff ensured sound business decisions. Central Government should control health and education services and local government should have control of the Town and Country Planning Act. State highways would be more effectively maintained by local authorities to a nationally set standard. Central Government should not impose any control on local authority spending as this is already ensured by public notification and auditing requirements.

The council does not believe all local authority members should be elected and believes the term of office should be extended to four years. The Treaty of Waitangi should not (change the way local government is administered, the council said.