Boundary change takes a step closer

Moves to decide whether Tokomaru and O¯ piki should become part of Palmerston North are under way.

The Local Government Commission has agreed to assess an application for the boundary change between Horowhenua District and the city.

But it did not want the process to get snared in the Christmas rush, so it will be January before it starts calling for public submissions on the ‘‘Tokopiki’’ proposal.

Advocate for change Arthur Toms said the commission’s decision that the proposal was worth investigating further was an encouraging step forward.

It meant the commission had not found anything illegal or frivolous about the application, and was satisfied there was a level of community support that justified continuing with the process.

‘‘It’s a major step, as the commission could have said it was not a goer.

‘‘We have been circling around the stadium, but now we are actually on the playing field,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s game on.’’

Toms’ view was that the Horowhenua District Council had neglected the village of Tokomaru and the community based around O¯ piki.

He said the communities’ 1100 residents tended to look to the city for most of their services and activities, not south to Levin.

Earlier assessments of council rates also suggested most ratepayers in the affected area would be much better off under the city’s rating system than they were under Horowhenua’s.

The signatures of more than 300 people supporting an application for change had helped convince the commission to continue the process.