Southern Taranaki councils fear conflict of interest in local government reform plan
Mayor Phil Nixon (left) told his councillors that South Taranaki had little input into the agreement for Taranaki reform talks.
South Taranaki and Stratford councils have spurned a suggested plan to work on local government reform, saying it would hand too much power to the regional council and New Plymouth.
Both district councils voted on Tuesday to keep working across the region to reshape local democracy, as required by the Government.
But they unanimously rejected a Heads of Agreement setting out rules for how Taranaki’s four councils would collaborate on the revamp.
The sticking point was how much say Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) would have in the talks.
The Heads of Agreement would give TRC chairman Craig Williamson a casting vote in case of a deadlock.
Councillors also worried that TRC chief executive Steve Ruru would wield too much power on a proposed steering committee.
Ruru recently also became interim chief executive of New Plymouth District Council, outside the usual process, but keeps his regional council job.
Regional councils are set to be abolished after 2028. Stratford district councillor Grant Boyde said only district councils should have a say in deciding the future.
“This Heads of Agreement has all the power and decision-making tied to TRC and New Plymouth District Council.”
He said that, as well as Williamson’s casting vote, Ruru would get two votes on a proposed steering committee due to his dual roles at TRC and New Plymouth District Council (NPDC).
“Taranaki ratepayers voted and elected … the mayors and councillors to represent them, not the CEOs or appointed chairs – that would be the tail wagging the dog.
“I have a serious trust issue with New Plymouth District Council and TRC.”
Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke said he shared reservations about the concentration of power and said the Government was partly to blame because of the haste of the process.
“We are being rushed, and the compromise here is public engagement, which will be severely compromised.
“I don’t believe there’s been any iwi input into this particular document.”
Two hours later, South Taranaki councillor Mark Bellringer also said he had “real problems” in dealing with NPDC.
South Taranaki should explore reform with Stratford and “go easy” on talking with their northern neighbour, he said.
“The New Plymouth District Council shares a [chief executive] with the regional council, and I think that’s a huge conflict of interest.”
South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon agreed it was a conflict and said the Heads of Agreement had been a problem from the start, with only “minor tweaks” since.
“We’ve had little input into this agreement. Mainly, it was originally designed for the coming together of NPDC and TRC.”
Both councils agreed they should still try to join in the Government’s Head Start pathway, rather than leaving it up to the Government to decide Taranaki’s fate.
Earlier in the afternoon, all but one of TRC’s councillors voted in favour of the disputed Heads of Agreement, also saying the region should determine its own future.
Although regional councils, including TRC, are facing the axe, Williamson said ministers and the Department of Internal Affairs had supported a strong regional approach.
“It’s our job, and we owe it to staff, and we owe it to this organisation, and we owe it to the legacy of the regional council and the work it’s done, to make sure that we set everything up for whatever the future holds.”
Meanwhile, NPDC could not decide on the Heads of Agreement, despite a lengthy debate, delaying its decision until its meeting today.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.