During the month the report commissioned by the three Wairarapa District Council on future governance options for the Wairarapa was released. The report by Morrison Low runs to many pages and is a statistician’s dream. However it does throw up many interesting facts.
One common myth which is exposed is the one that Wellington rates are far lower than Wairarapa’s, something which is dished out to the council time and again. The South Wairarapa annual rate per capita is $1,134 Wellington’s is $1,016 – hardly the ‘only half’ which is frequently quoted.
The report considers that there is a general preference for a combined Wairarapa council rather than being a part of a Greater Wellington City. Further considerable investigation and community consultation will obviously be required to refine this.
The report suggested that a single mayor and twelve councillors could replace the area’s current three mayors and twenty seven councillors, along with a reduction in administrative staff.
Also considered was the rates currently charged by the three Wairarapa authorities with their estimated increases, along with each of the authority’s current liabilities. Masterton’s rate is presently $927 per capita, Carterton’s $1,038 and South Wairarapa $1,134. However over the next three years Masterton budgets on an average increase of 5.9%, Carterton 6.7% and South Wairarapa 4%.
Masterton also has the highest public debt at $1,140 per capita and Carterton the lowest at $214 while South Wairarapa’s is $731. However the report cautioned that this can easily be changed by the requirement of a major project such as water or sewerage.
Also considered was the future position of the Greater Wellington Regional Council, of which Wairarapa is a considerable beneficiary. The previous Minister, Nick Smith, signalled that he considered this extra layer of bureaucracy should be peeled off. However, of late this proposal seems to have slipped off the agenda.
Currently the Regional Council sends $15.8 million a year on the Wairarapa and collects only $5.6 million in rates. Major spending in Wairarapa is on subsidising public transport $3.3 million, environmental protection $4.5 million and bio security $4.8 million. Clearly if this council was disbanded Wairarapa would be significantly disadvantaged by requiring either a considerable rate rise or reduction in these activities.
Regional Council Chairperson, Fran Wilde, has complained that the report does not include consideration of her preference of an Auckland style Super City with Community Boards in each of the towns or suburbs looking after purely local matters.
There are clearly many things to be discussed before final decisions are made.
