Amendment bill ‘unpalatable’

A new government amendment bill could erode local democracy and cause major financial issues for council, Waimate councillors say.

The Waimate District Council approved a submission in an extraordinary meeting yesterday, which says a local government legislation change ‘‘jeopardises the effectiveness of local government’’.

The Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2) proposes to remove community consultation for Local Government Commission initiated investigations into local government re-structuring.

Earlier this month, Waimate District Mayor Craig Rowley said it could signal ‘‘the death of local democracy’’.

The council submission says the bill was littered with inconsistencies and lacked essential details which ‘‘expose many of the proposals to be ill-considered, impractical, at odds with its aims, and entirely unpalatable from the perspective of local authorities and their communities’’.

Roading and water services and assets could be removed from direct council control, which would have ‘‘major financial implications’’ for councils, the council submission says.

The council could not support the bill without ‘‘considerable redrafting’’.

Rowley put a remit against the bill at the Local Government New Zealand conference on Sunday, with ‘‘97 per cent’’ of mayoral and council delegates voting in its favour. He also spoke to Local Government Minister Peseta Sam LotuIiga about meeting with government officials, mayors and Local Government New Zealand representatives to discuss the proposal, Rowley said.

Deputy Mayor Sharyn Cain said the council needed to insist Waimate would be involved in further consultation and re-drafting.

‘‘We want a foot in the door,’’ Cain said.

However, councillor Tom O’Connor was concerned the bill could not be improved even if they could become more involved in the consultation process.

‘‘No matter how hard you polish a gumboot, it’s still a gumboot,’’ O’Connor said.

He also spoke against the bill in his role as Grey Power’s national president and said ‘‘the loss of local democracy will only result in further apathy at local body elections’’.

Councillor Peter Collins said the amendment could have ‘‘huge ramifications for smaller councils’’.

Submissions on the bill are due by July 28 after the it received its first reading earlier this month. No Waimate residents attended yesterday’s extra-ordinary meeting. Rowley and council chief executive Bede Carran were unavailable to comment after the meeting.