Introduction

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Mihi

E ngā hapū, ngā iwi, ngā uri whakaheke o te pūtiki wharanui o Kahungunu; tēnā āno te mihi atu kī a koe, i runga i te kaupapa kei mua i a Te Kōmihana, i a tātou kātoa: kia whai painga ana kī te rohe nei.

E mihi hūri noa kī a koutou o Maungaharuru-Tangitū; Ngāti Pāhauwera; Tūhoe Te Uru Taumatua; Ngati Tuwharetoa Hāpū; Mana Ahuriri; Ngati Hineuru; Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa; He Toa Takitini; Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana hōkī.

Kua whakarongo mātou Te Kōmihana ki ngā whakaaro puta mai i ia marae, i ia hapū, i ngā tāngata atawhai i Te Mātau-a-Maui.

Tū tonu mai te kaupapa: ānei o mātou kitenga; o mātou meā whakamārama. Nāku, Nā

Basil Morrison

Tumuaki, Mana Kāwanatanga-a-Rohe

We greet you again, the peoples, the descendants of the flax knot of Kahungunu, in the context of the present matters before the Commission as we together seek benefits for this region.

Greetings also to all those involved in the treaty legislation now before parliament which touches on our activities.

The Commission has listened with care to the submissions made by everyone, from large organisations to individuals. Our purpose of seeking benefit for the peoples of Hawke’s Bay remains.

These are our findings and our explanations of our thinking.

Basil Morrison

Chair, Local Government Commission

Foreword

The Local Government Commission is please to present our final proposal for reorganising Hawke’s Bay’s local government for the next generation.

We’re proposing a single new Hawke’s Bay Council with five strong local boards sharing decision making and representing the interests of the region’s varied communities.

Hawke’s Bay Region is diverse but also strongly interdependent, with shared infrastructure, services and an integrated regional economy. One new council will better support the region’s development and its future.

This proposal is different to the draft proposal we initially put to the region in 2013. We have listened to many views, at meetings and in submissions, and made significant changes in response.

Most importantly, the proposal provides a stronger voice for local communities. The five local boards will be responsible for local affairs as much as possible. We have doubled the number of councillors for the region to 18. Each local board will include two councillors, to ensure they are well-placed to reflect local views when region-wide decisions are being made.

We encourage you to carefully read and consider this final proposal.

We are confident it achieves the right balance between meeting the needs of diverse local communities and interests while also recognising that the region as a whole is interconnected and will achieve more, and achieve it more quickly, together.

It is now in your hands how we proceed.

This proposal will be implemented in time for elections and the new council to come into being in November 2016, unless residents and ratepayers ask for a poll, and a majority then vote against it.

We thank all those who have taken the time to be involved in the consultation process – we have heard your words and we have been inspired by your passion for your local community.

We also appreciate the ongoing assistance from councils and other parties in the region.

Regards

Basil Morrison

Chairman

Anne Carter

Commissioner

Janie Annear

Commissioner

The local Government Commission is an independent statutory body appointed under the Local Government Act 2002. Its main task is to make decisions on the structure of local government. The Commission has three members who are appointed by the Minister of Local Government. They are Basil Morrison (chairman), Anne Carter and Janie Annear.

Introduction

Mihi

Foreword

Hawke’s Bay Council at a glance

Overview

Proposal

Appendices