Public support is growing for a council covering southern Taranaki to prevent dominance by New Plymouth.
Taranaki’s three district councils and regional council are drawing up plans for amalgamation, to avoid a Government-imposed change after the 2028 local elections.
South Taranaki and Stratford districts are wary of joining New Plymouth in a unitary authority, fearing the city’s voting power will overwhelm their interests.
South Taranaki District Council mayor Phil Nixon this week said close to 450 people had already responded to a survey on the council’s website.
The vast majority wanted to amalgamate with neighbouring Stratford District, but not New Plymouth.
“As of today we’re … running at 95 percent,” Nixon told Wednesday’s meeting of Te Kāhui Matauraura committee.
He said Stratford also seemed to want a two-council combination.
“Midday yesterday, talking with Mayor Volzke from Stratford … about 100 had replied running at 76 percent in favour.”
Some iwi-council committee members last month indicated early support for a southern council.
Nixon asked them to encourage uri to take part in the survey.
“And we would really like to see an official letter from your governance boards as to your iwi support.
“If you’re able to do that, please, that would hold a lot of weight for us.”
Council proposals will need ministerial sign-off under the Government’s Head Start pathway.
Nixon said the council was approaching others for support, including Federated Farmers.
Councillor Cheryl Luke-Makahi lives in Normanby, a village of about 1000 people just north of Hāwera.
She said Normanby would get no say in a Taranaki-wide unitary council.
“Heck no! I mean we lost a lot at the last reform because … little Normanby had its own little borough, and we had our own say in things.”
Luke-Makahi said merging into South Taranaki District Council had been of benefit, but joining New Plymouth would not.
“Around the traps, most people are not in favour of one council.”
Peter Moeahu said if change was forced by Wellington, Taranaki iwi would prefer Stratford and South Taranaki join “and New Plymouth can do its thing.”
Moeahu’s fellow Taranaki iwi rep on Te Kāhui Matauraura, Damon Ritai, said they opposed the Government’s local body reform overall.
Ritai heads the iwi agency Te Kāhui o Taranaki, which he said supports council collaboration with better government funding.
“We do not support the central government power grabs, which undermine our democratic legitimacy: You know, the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi … environmental protection and reduced accountability of decision-makers to the local community.”
Ngāpari Nui said Ngāti Ruanui also wants South Taranaki and Stratford to join forces.
“We think of New Plymouth becoming the big brother - and having all the big say.”
Nui said he’d already alerted trustees of Wai-o-Turi Pā to make a submission and was also “spreading the word” to whānau and neighbours in Pātea.
LDR is local body journalism funded by RNZ and NZ on Air.
