Committee faces many issues

AMALGAMATION, the boundary line, finances, roading, representation and land use are among numerous issues to be heard next week by a Joint Boundary Committee representing the Manawatu District and Palmerston North City Councils.

The six-member committee - to be chaired by Manawatu District’s Deputy Mayor, Matt Bell - is responsible for overseeing the process for a proposed boundary change between the two regions.

Other committee members are Palmerston North Deputy Mayor, Jim Jefferies, who is Deputy Chairperson; MDC councillors Barbara Cameron and Tony Jensen, and PNCC councillors Annette Nixon and Tangi Utikere.

The proposed boundary change will bring some of the land from Longburn to Kairanga, through to and including Bunnythorpe, into the city, as well as the area between Bunnythorpe and Ashhurst. The proposal also involves a small piece of land adjacent to the Saddle Road Bridge being transferred from the city to the district.

A total of 212 submissions were received during the public consultation period on the Draft Boundary Reorganisation Scheme, with 70 submitters wishing to be heard by the committee.

MDC Customer Services and Democracy Manager, Janine Hawthorn, said the hearings are to be held in the council chamber in Feilding from Tuesday to Friday next week and were open to the public.

The committee then had until November 4 to decide whether or not the scheme should go ahead or be amended.

Mrs Hawthorn said an analysis of the replies showed that 76 percent of the submitters were opposed to the proposed boundary change, with 17 percent in favour.

Copies of the submissions can be viewed at the MDC office in Feilding and the PNCC customer service centre, as well as the Feilding, Palmerston North, Sanson, Ashhurst and Linton Public Libraries.