By Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporting

It has been the elephant in the room for months. A looming presence discussed nervously only behind closed doors.

But the possibility of council amalgamation on the West Coast- otherwise known as local government reform – has surfaced publicly this week at a West Coast Regional Council meeting.

The ‘A’ word itself was delicately avoided.

But the council believes reform will be needed, if the Coast is to mount a successful bid for one of the Government’s new ‘regional deals’.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced a framework for co-funding agreements to boost regional economies, with a focus on critical infrastructure and housing.

The benefits could include access to new mining royalties, and a share of tourism levies.

But the deals will be by invitation only; provinces will have to show they are committed to a 30-year spatial plan and only five will be chosen for the first round.

Regional council adviser Freya Love told the meeting the process would be highly competitive, with government making the decision on which regions were ready to engage.

“Darryl (chief executive Darryl Lew, pictured) has described it as a beauty contest, where all the regions pitch up and say "we’re they’re ready to engage." I would align it more like the Hunger Games ... which of us is correct remains to be seen but it is not a given.”

Lew said the West Coast was better placed than many regions to show it could lift its GDP with a regional deal but would need to do some ‘corrective’ work to position itself first.

Love said for a successful bid, Coast councils would need to show consensus and pitch a coherent framework to the government.

“They talk about the quality of governance in the region and they’re looking for a unified voice.”

Buller councillor Frank Dooley said ratepayers were concerned about the sustainability of the current local government model on the West Coast.
The region, with a population of about 31,000, has three district councils, in Buller, Grey and Westland, as well as the Regional Council.

“I think we have to be proactive and signal to the government we’re ready to go and we need to progress this very quickly. We have to front-foot it.”

Council chairperson Peter Haddock said he would like the approval of councillors to raise the options for reforms that would result in savings for ratepayers, at a meeting next week of Coast mayors and chairs.

Councillor Peter Ewen said the Regional Council had first raised the idea of more collaboration between councils 12 months ago.

“We lead this; we’ve got the capacity; the District Councils are fiscally challenged at the moment, their CEO’s have changed … they’re looking after their patch and a bit fearful of where this may go.”

In the future there was going to be on regional body, and if councils did not reform themselves, the government would do it for them, Ewen said.

The West Coast was too small in numbers to be split in three, and the Regional Council now had the capability and the staff to lead discussions on reform.

Councillor Brett Cummings said there had to be a unified bid for a regional deal

“We need to drag the other councils along - kicking and squealing - if we want to be part of this. A lot of what holds us is infrastructure, bridges.”

Dooley came up with a series of recommendations.
In summary – that the Regional Council engage with the government on the regional deal process, acknowledge the concerns of ratepayers about costs, and commit to local government reform.

Councils and iwi together should come up with an acceptable model for local government for the region, Dooley recommended.
The motion was passed unanimously.

Haddock said the community wanted to see progress to reduce the burden on ratepayers

“But let’s not predetermine what that should look like … we’ll meet with mayors, chairs and iwi to agree an approach to establishing acceptable local government reform for the West Coast Region.”

*LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.