Kaipara District Looks to the Kaipara Harbour

Kaipara Mayor Neil Tiller does not see any direct benefits to Kaipara ratepayers in reorganising Northland Local Government into a single unitary authority or two unitary councils. He considers Kaipara District Council is an effective unit which is close to its people.

“But if reorganisation is to be considered, Kaipara District Council’s view is that Kaipara’s best option is to focus on a community of interest including the whole of Mangawhai and Kaipara Harbours plus the rurally focussed areas of Rodney,” says Mayor Neil Tiller.

The Northland Regional Council and the Whangarei and Far North District Council’s are promoting discussion on reorganising Local Government in Northland, focussing on several options, including one or two unitary councils which would combine the functions of both district and regional councils.

However, Mayor Tiller says Kaipara District Council doubts that restructuring Local Government in Northland will benefit either Kaipara or the rest of Northland, and that efficiencies can better be achieved by working together co-operatively and by strengthening Northland Regional Council’s role in planning and regulatory functions.

“There has been no clear indication that our community wants Northland Local Government restructured and the complexity of Auckland’s re-structuring means Central Government is unlikely to be pushing for other major reorganisation for several years.”

Also, the Mayor says Kaipara District Councillor’s have made it clear that they do not see Kaipara’s future as linked to either the Far North or Whangarei District Council’s.

“Such a future would see Kaipara lose its identity and voice, along with things that make Kaipara special - like our very accessible and engaged form of Local Government which responds to the aspirations of its people, plus a very cost-effective unit. For example Kaipara has the lowest rates per ratepayer in Northland with its average in 2008 being $1,021 compared to $1,637 in the Far North and $1,480 in Whangarei.

“Joining other Northland councils would increase costs to Kaipara ratepayers through a reduction in Government funding for roading and also by combining with less efficient councils.

“If we are to make Kaipara, and Northland, a better place to live we need to understand the people’s aspirations and to do this there must be a high level of engagement which is best achieved by working through identifiable communities, recognised as communities by the people of Northland.”

Mayor Tiller believes residents would see a community of interest based around the two harbours and says this is given added weight by an Auckland University of Technology study which identified strong links between Rodney and Kaipara along with a focus on the Kaipara Harbour as a potential element in the District’s economic development.

“It also relates well to the Auckland Royal Commission’s recognition of the need to manage the Kaipara Harbour as a single entity and would also reflect iwi, rohe and kaitiakitanga”.

The Mayor says Kaipara will be ensuring that its views are made well known to ensure everyone understands its concept of the future.