Otago councils want to form unitary authority - without Dunedin

By Patrick Manning, Massey University journalism student

A Dunedin city councillor says a proposal to exclude the city from a new Otago unitary authority is "ridiculous", but the mayor behind it says it makes sense.

And Dunedin's mayor says she thinks the city needs its own council - and shouldn't join in to a single Otago council.

Central Otago District and Clutha District councils have both voted in favour of merging together with Queenstown Lakes District Council.

Clutha mayor Jock Martin has proposed three options for the model - one which combines the three district councils into one authority, a second which includes rural parts of Dunedin (Strath Taieri, Taieri Plains and Waihemo) and a third which would add on Gore District.

All options exclude urban Dunedin.

Dunedin city councillor Andrew Simms said the whole of Otago should be encompassed into one unitary authority - including Dunedin.

"In my view it's just naked self interest and doesn't address the opportunities there are for all of us by actually building a bigger unitary authority for all of Otago.

"It would bring benefits for everybody including Clutha and including Central Otago. I don't understand why people can't see that vision."

He felt it was the government's intention to amlagamate smaller rural councils with larger metro areas.

"To suggest smaller rural councils are going to lop parts off what is the largest city in Otago, I don't know if anybody's taking it too seriously."

Simms said he believed Martin was trying to separate Taieri out from Dunedin due to government criteria for amalgamation.

"They're trying to gain control of those river catchments because that's part of the criteria. So it just so happens that they need those parts of Dunedin to do that. I just don't think anyone's thought it through."

Martin rejected he made the proposals in self-interest.

He said Simms comments were course.

"There's definitely no self interest, I was elected by our district to lead for our people and they are front of mind."

He confirmed his proposal was intended to include all the catchments.

"Everything that happens at the head of the Clutha has an impact on our ratepayers in the lower clutha, so that's why I proposed those bondaries.

"Its nothing against Dunedin, its around catchments and the environment."

When asked why he wanted to exclude urban Dunedin from the unitary authority, he said it was based on public feedback from a survey run by Clutha District Council.

"57 percent of those that completed the survey want to stay rural. It's the rural voice that everyone is concerned about if we are urbanised with the likes of Dunedin.

"It's not about us or them, it's about ... doing right for our people and what're we doing right about our environment."

Martin said he was keeping his councillors up to speed weekly with developments.

"People are telling me there's conversations in the shadows and all sorts but that's just complete nonsense.

"At least by entering the head start we have some control over our destiny."

Queenstown Lakes District Council would meet to consider the proposal on Monday.

Dunedin needs to be its own council or coastal council - mayor

Dunedin's mayor Sophie Barker said she wasn't in favour of a single council for Otago.

In a Facebook post earlier this week, Barker said the best options were a Dunedin unitary council, or a Dunedin coastal unitary council based around water catchments.

"I am not in favour of a single unitary for Otago.

"We're too big and diverse an area with a very rural/ urban divide - and it looks like most inland Otago residents recognise that and aren't keen for a unitary Otago council either."

Barker said a report by consultants Morrison Low said numbers didn't add up for Dunedin in terms of significant savings.

"We'd double our ratepayers, but have 10 times the land area to manage including areas with significant infrastructure deficits that could crowd out our ability to get stuff done in Dunedin.

"I don't believe mass centralisation will deliver significant benefits for our residents."

But Barker said she didn't agree with having any of Dunedin's Taieri catchment split up, especially the "Pearl of the Plain" Mosgiel.

Councils had until 9 August to submit ''head start'' plans for new unitary authorities made up of at least two councils or the government would make decisions for them.