Submissions' quality important

SUBMITTERS airing their views on the proposed boundary change between Manawatu District and Palmerston North were told, “quality of content will far outweigh quantity”.

Joint Boundary Committee Chair, Matt Bell, also said it was important for submitters to focus on what was beneficial to the hearing and, in particular, what was beneficial for their own case.

Seventy submitters are to be heard by the six-member committee representing the Manawatu District and Palmerston North City Councils during a four-day hearing which started on Tuesday. It is being held in the MDC chamber in Feilding.

A total of 212 submissions were received for the Draft Boundary Reorganisation Scheme with amalgamation, the boundary line, finances, roading, representation and land use among the many issues raised.

The proposed boundary change will bring some 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.

Mr Bell said the committee had been charged with making a decision on the proposal and regardless of what others had perceived to be the case, “we will be undertaking this hearing with an open mind”.

“It is important that you convince us of your view if you want to influence our final decision. We are interested in your point of view.”

He said the decision itself could be one of only three outcomes:

* The committee adopts the scheme as proposed

* It adopts the scheme with some amendments to take account of submissions – though such amendments would not change the overall scheme to any large extent

* It decides that the scheme not proceed

“We will make a decision,” Mr Bell said. “It is not our job to try and please everyone. Whatever our decision is, I’m sure there will be a number of people who will not be happy.”

He said it was important to reiterate that the boundary change proposal was not a re-zoning or land-use change exercise, a roading authority decision, an airport extension decision or an extension of services decision.

Palmerston North City Council was the first submitter, with its case presented by Mayor Jono Naylor; Chief Executive, Paddy Clifford, and City Planner, David Murphy.