7 Jun 2013

Council claims unitary authority approval

9:54 pm on 7 June 2013

The Far North District council is claiming overwhelming support for the creation of a unitary authority, following an opinion poll.

The Versus Research survey of 400 people, either online or by phone, is not yet complete.

But the council says with two-thirds of the results in, 84% of those surveyed support a unitary authority based on Far North boundaries, rather than a single unitary council for the whole of Northland.

The Far North council has pitched a proposal for a unitary authority, including Maori wards, to the Local Government Commission.

The final results of the survey are expected later this month.