Merger investigated?

Press, 21 July 1988, Page 6

Merger investigated?

The Waimairi District Council wants an investigation by consultants to prove whether a one-city or three-city proposal would be better for Christchurch.

The District Chairman, Mrs Margaret Murray, said the present local government reform options for Waimairi lay with either its three-city proposal or the one-city proposal which it negotiated more than a year ago. She told the council that the recently passed Local Government Amendment Bill and guidelines for reform had given the Local Government Commission all the power and

resources to do what it liked, and therefore it was up to it to do the work comparing the two options.

“No detailed work has been done to prove one or the other, and so I believe the commissioner owes it to the welfare of Christchurch to do this work,” Mrs Murray said. While the Government’s reform guidelines were specific on the creation of regional government, they were vague about the future of territorial authorities. This gave the commission an “open cheque” to do what it wanted. Cr Brian Shackel said he thought the public

were “sick and tired of reports. “I do not think this one will achieve any more than in the past — it would be just another piece of paper.” Cr Des King said he believed that none of the reports so far had been read and digested. “But I have great faith that in the end we will crack this gentleman (the chairman of the commission, Mr Brian Elwood) ...” Cr King said.

The council decided to ask the commission to engage consultants to prove which of the two options would best meet the needs of Christchurch people.