REGIONAL CONTROL

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 112, 2 August 1927, Page 16

REGIONAL CONTROL

NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT The desirability of creating some form of local government, in, advance of the various proposals already submitted and discussed in public circles, was brought before the notice of Onehunga Borough Council at its meeting last night. A long communication was received, signed by the Hon. G. Fowlds, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, Mr. T. Bloodworth, and others, explaining that a deputation had recently waited upon the Mayor of Auckland seeking his support in the project. They maintained that for some time it had been apparent that the present form of local government in the metropolitan area does not adequately and efficiently meet the needs brought about by the rapid development of the past few years. As to the opinion that the correct solution existed solely in amalgamation or in the creation of separate special bodies, they considered it desirable that local interest in purely local matters could be best fostered by retaining existing local bodies. But they also recognised that many of the matters with which local government is now concerned are regional rather than local in character; and the administration of such matters should be vested in one body representing the region rather than the special locality, and having control of all such regional services rather than, as is the present tendency, in separate boards created for administration of separate services. In explanation and support of such ideas the writers enclosed a pamphlet containing diagrams, statistics and an analysis of the whole subject. The communication was received.