Franklin residents ignored?

In a front page story on Tuesday 25 August, the Franklin County News quotes a reliable source who says the decision on Franklin’s future is already made. The report indicates “the new Auckland Council will basically follow the southern border of the current Auckland Regional Council. This will split Franklin in two, with the southern part of the District being swallowed up by Waikato District Council. It is also believed that the dams in the eastern part of the District will be governed by the new Auckland Council and that the Kaiaua area will be governed by Hauraki District Council.”

Franklin District Mayor Mark Ball commented: “If this is true, Cabinet has made this decision without even hearing back from the Select Committee they set up to hear submissions on the issue. By doing that, they have ignored the views of the majority of Franklin residents. Since the Super-city debate began we have been listening to the people of Franklin, and it is clear that the vast majority of residents do not want Franklin split up. While there is a small, but vocal minority of Franklin residents who do want to be part of the new Auckland Council, I know that the vast majority of our residents want no part of it.”

“Over the past 16 months, we have conducted three independent telephone polls of Franklin residents. In March 2008, 85% of respondents indicated that they wanted Franklin to remain separate. In April 2009, 76% of respondents wanted Franklin to remain separate (and only 13% indicated they wished to become part of the Super-city). In July 2009, 85% indicated that they wanted Franklin to remain separate and to become a unitary authority (only 15% wished to become part of the Super-city).”

“Throughout that time there has been a clear and consistent message from the people of Franklin that they do not want to become part of Auckland.”

“I presented these results to the Select Committee to show them that the Council’s submission was strongly supported by the people of the district. To hear now that a decision has been made by Cabinet before the Select Committee has reported back is quite unbelievable really. It certainly brings into question this Government’s apparent desire to listen to the people and totally overrides the democratic process they themselves set up to hear from the people.”

“All will be revealed on 4 September when the Select Committee finally reports back to the House. Only a recommendation that Franklin is completely ‘out’ of the Super-city will clearly demonstrate that democracy is still alive and well in New Zealand, and restore my faith in the parliamentary process.”