30 Oct 2012

Region-wide council proposed for Wellington

10:23 pm on 30 October 2012

A new governance structure is proposed for Wellington with a region-wide council presided over by a Lord Mayor and six area councils.

An 11-seat super council would be responsible for setting rates and budgets and looking after core infrastructure and asset management, while local councils would be responsible for community buildings and services.

The two-tier model was recommended by a panel led by former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and set up by the Wellington Regional Council and Porirua City Council.

Six area councils are envisaged: Wellington, Porirua, Kapiti, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt and Wairarapa. Each would have a mayor who would be more of a figurehead elected by the council, not the public.

A Greater Wellington Council would be responsible for all finances. It would also look after regional matters such as environmental issues and transport planning. Area councils would be responsible for services such as rubbish collection and park management.

Sir Geoffrey says the changes would mean 28 fewer councillors and mayors, while 10 chief executives across the region would be reduced to one. He proposes a four-year term, with representatives being allowed to sit only for a maximum of three terms.

Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown questions whether the proposed model would enhance local government and believes the capital's right to self-determination would be reduced.

"It appears somewhat hierarchical with the top tier and relatively powerless local councils, but there's a lot more to read in the report and there may well be some good ideas buried in the pages."

The councils will meet in November to decide what parts of the proposal should be submitted to the Local Government Commission for consideration.