Unitary councils - Northern Advocate - 29th March 2010 (Pat Slater)

Following on from my letter ‘Status quo no option’, after more information, I now feel obliged to inform readers further.

It was portrayed at the Whangarei, Kaipara and Kaikohe local government options meetings and in the actual McKinlay Douglas Ltd report (the abbreviated one I was given) that the two possible options were a single unitary council for the whole of Northland; or two unitary councils. As I previously mentioned the details given at the meeting in Whangarei stirred much debate not allowing time for the presentation to be completed, people obviously felt this issue was being forced upon them.

After sifting through a lot of paper work, I note, a copy of the Whangarei slide show presentation does briefly mention an ‘enhanced status quo’ being an option. At all of the actual meetings, with the description of ‘status quo’, it was definitely spoken of as not an option.

For those who attended but may not have discovered it yet, and those who did not go but may have read my previous letter, I advise that the submission form has four predetermined choices, one being status quo and included is a chance to write your own alternative if you prefer. The deadline for a submission is 30 April, 2010.

I am sure this information will put some minds at rest.

Pat Slater

Maunu