Take Aucklands southern boundary to the Local Government Commission, farmers urge

Federated Farmers is taking its fight to keep the whole of Franklin district in the new Auckland super city to Parliament. The Federation hopes an amendment to the Bill might be won, that will allow the Local Government Commission to set Auckland’s southern boundary.

“While Federated Farmers lobbying has helped retain Rodney within Auckland, we remain determined to avoid splitting Franklin district irrationally,” says Wendy Clark, Federated Farmers Auckland provincial vice-president.

“Splitting the Auckland half of Franklin district on the Waikato River catchment line makes a mockery of the whole purpose of local government.

“What Federated Farmers would like to see is an amendment to the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill. This would give the Local Government Commission the job of determining where the southern boundary should be.

“The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance recommended the boundary be based upon the line of the Waikato River itself, which Federated Farmers supports. Yet what we have proposed instead is the more amorphous ‘catchment line’ that is in the Bill.

“The Local Government Commission after all, is the independent statutory body charged with setting local government’s structure and representation requirements.

“All that is needed is for an MP to move an amendment to that effect. If no one does then Parliament is condemning Auckland and Franklin to a King Solomon type solution without the wisdom.

“Local government ought to be based on communities of interest and not an unfathomable political calculus. What’s worse is that if this goes through as it is, then productivity will suffer through farmers and businesses having to adapt to new local plans and rules.

“Pokeno and Tuakau look north towards Pukekohe and Auckland and not south to Ngaurawahia and Hamilton,” Mrs Clark concluded.