Time will tell with change

The 40th anniversary of Porirua’s amalgamation with its northern suburbs is a reminder that supercity angst is nothing new.

On April 1, 1973, Hutt County Council land including Pukerua Bay, Plimmerton and Paremata became part of Porirua, increasing the city’s population from 7000 to 9177.

A look back through Kapi-Mana News editions of the time reveal discord about rates for the northern suburbs, as well as debate about a new name.

An opinion poll returned such names as Pukemana, Rainbow City, Te Rauparaha, Linkwater, Brownton in honour of thenmayor Whitford Brown, and KapiMana.

We wonder what current mayor Nick Leggett would advocate for a future Tawa- Porirua supercity electorate renamed ‘‘Leggetton’’?

Mayor Brown’s preferred name in 1973 was Westhaven, which was also supported by an anonymous letter-writer calling himself ‘‘Pakeha’’. He wrote to the editor: ‘‘There are far too many Maori names in Titahi Bay and Porirua. Let’s have a Pakeha name for a change. Westhaven is a delightful name.’’

Titahi Bay’s A E Mexted, on the other hand, wrote to say Westhaven sounded like an old person’s home.

In the end 80 per cent of respondents voted to retain Porirua.

Opinion was not so united on the amalgamation itself: city councillors were lambasted for rates rises of 56 per cent in Pukerua Bay and 21 per cent in Paremata.

Pukerua Bay resident Joan Saul wrote to the paper protesting her huge rates increase due to debts taken on by Porirua City Council before amalgamation.

‘‘None of this money raised can possibly benefit Pukerua Bay at this stage as presumably it has already been spent in Porirua,’’ she wrote.

In addition, northern residents believed their suburbs’ identity would be lost on joining Porirua.

Mayor Brown tried to allay fears in an opinion column that January, quoting the Local Government Commission of the time: ‘‘Any community of interest – if real and strong – will not be lost by a change in local authority boundary lines,’’ he wrote, adding: ‘‘Only time will tell!’’