The idea of combining the Wellington region's councils into one large entity has been thrown around for over a decade. Photo: 123rf
Hutt City Council will consider whether to add a non-binding referendum at this year's election asking for residents' thoughts on amalgamating Wellington's councils.
The idea of combining the Wellington region's councils into one large entity has been thrown around for over a decade.
In 2015, the Local Government Commission binned such a plan.
But Hutt City Council and Porirua City Council have put some consideration into a revival of the idea.
Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry said he would bring a decision on whether to add a non-binding referendum question to this year's local election ballot at a council meeting next month.
It would read:
"Should Hutt City Council work with councils in Wellington, Upper Hutt, Porirua and the Wellington Regional Council to explore the possibility of creating one single council, that combines relevant services and functions regionally, while keeping appropriate local services and decision making local?"
It came after Porirua City Council agreed to ask the same question as part in its election ballot at a meeting yesterday.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said they decided to do the referendum because they were already having to do a Māori ward referendum at this year's election anyway.
A law introduced last year required councils with Māori wards that were established without a referendum to hold a binding poll at this year's election.
Baker said it would cost $20,000 to do the amalgamation referendum alongside the Māori ward referendum compared to $150,000 for doing it by itself.
"We keep on having the same old questions but no one ever asks the people that actually matter and our residents matter."
She hoped it would also increase voter turnout in the city.
Barry said that it was a "good thing" to ask residents their thoughts on the idea.
"If our community comes back and says no we are not interested then I think that can help settle the matter."
Barry told RNZ he received questions about the idea particularly from the business community and those that interact with the council regularly.
He said that was often due to different rules that were in place in different parts of the region.
Voting at this year's local body election will start 9 September and end 11 October.
