Christchurch City Council has opened a public survey asking residents to consider possible approaches for amalgamating local government across Christchurch and Canterbury. The survey follows the Government’s Head Start Pathway announcement in May, which gave councils until early August to submit voluntary proposals for local government amalgamation within their regions. If councils do not meet the deadline with their own proposals, the Government has indicated it will proceed with reorganisation on their behalf.
The city council has been holding discussions with other Canterbury councils, the Canterbury Mayoral Forum, mana whenua, communities and stakeholders to explore options. Three potential organising principles have been identified to assess different local government arrangements: how people work, live and grow; how water and rivers flow; and scale, capability and capacity. The survey asks residents to rank these three principles in order of importance and explain the factors that influence their ranking. At this stage, the council is considering five potential amalgamation options, though other options remain on the table for the region.
Mayor Phil Mauger said the council has committed to taking an evidence-based approach and that any regional reorganisation must succeed at the regional level. The focus is on ensuring change delivers for Canterbury and supports long-term regional success, with Christchurch acting as a constructive partner to identify a pathway proposal that achieves the best outcomes for communities and the region. The survey closes on 26 July.
Christchurch City Council will decide what approach it will take in its Head Start Pathway proposal on 4 August. Residents who wish to make a deputation at that meeting can contact the council. The survey can be found at letstalk.ccc.govt.nz/head-start, and more information is available at ccc.govt.nz/headstartpathway.
Read the full article at www.odt.co.nz →
Source: www.odt.co.nz. This summary was published by Input Ltd via amalgamation.nz, New Zealand’s central resource for local government amalgamation news and council merger updates.
