Residents asked about boundary change
The Horowhenua communities of Tokomaru and piki could be moving closer to Palmerston North.
The Local Government Commission has called for public submissions on a proposal to shift the boundary between the city and district so the area’s population of 1400 would become Palmerston North residents.
Horowhenua would lose about 14 per cent of its land area, and 4 per cent of its population.
One of the proponents, Tokomaru resident Christine Toms, said she was as enthusiastic about leaving the district as she was in 2018 when the request to the commission was first made.
Toms is persevering with the campaign, which she said would mean lower rates and better service for residents, despite the death of her husband and author of the proposal, Arthur Toms, last year.
Figures provided by the commission suggested rates would be cheaper for all but the highest-valued township properties in Tokomaru.
While small farms could pay more, large blocks would see substantial savings.
piki farmer Clive Akers said he calculated a potential rates reduction of up to $7000 a year.
Akers said people in the two communities felt a much greater affinity with Palmerston North than with Horowhenua and its local government base in Levin. ‘‘Palmerston North is where we do all our business, and our children get educated, and where our emergency services are – we are a lot closer to Palmerston North.’’
Akers said that sense of community connection had prevailed for many years, outlasting changes to the Horowhenua mayoralty and council.
At the 2019 council elections, five people stood for election to the Miranui ward, which includes piki and Tokomaru.
Akers said the local communities knew hardly any of them.
The boundary change process was slowed last year by Covid-19 alert levels, and both Akers and Toms said the pandemic made their desire for it to go ahead even stronger.
Toms said it would become extremely difficult for people to get to shops, schools, workplaces and medical appointments in their ‘‘natural’’ places in Palmerston North, if there were ever restrictions on crossing local government boundaries.
She said as far as she knew, the people in the community who had supported the original boundary change application were still strongly in favour of it.
The deadline for submissions is April 7.