Sir Bob Harvey tells lower North Island of amalgamation “benefits”
I saw this one pop up thanks to Councillor Cathy Casey.
From The Wairarapa Times:
Two super-city meetings next week
With less than a month until submissions on the super-city proposal close, more meetings on the issue are being held next week.
Two high profile Aucklanders will speak about local body amalgamation, in particular the Auckland super-city and local boards, at a meeting in Masterton next Monday.
The meeting, sponsored by Sustainable Wairarapa, is to be held in the Masterton Town Hall at 7.30pm and special invitations to speak were issued to Sir Bob Harvey and Greg Moyle.
Sir Bob is a former mayor of Waitakere who now chairs Waterfront Auckland.
Mr Moyle serves on the Waitemata Local Board and was on Auckland City Council.
They both maintain amalgamation in Auckland has transformed the region for the better.
Driving the meeting will be the contention Wairarapa would do better to be part of a larger-rating base to protect its environment and meet the challenges of climate change.
Sir Bob is credited with leading Waitakere into being NZ’s first eco-city.
He said, as mayor of Waitakere, he had “created a wonderful stand-alone eco-enviro city”.
“I thought it would be trashed by the steam roller of the Auckland super-city. It hasn’t – in fact, it’s been enhanced.”
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Full article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503414&objectid=11400618
I would love to know what Harvey has been looking seriously as that is not how citizens would see it with Auckland.
While the Council Controlled Organisations are finally getting going in delivering projects (when the Governing Body doesn’t cut the budget from under them), investment across Auckland has been spotty and our Local Boards remain severely under funded.
Time for Sir Bob to leave the Ivory Tower of Waterfront Auckland and return to West Auckland.
Poor West Auckland is beset with socio-economic problems including crime, little job opportunities of any meaningful that do not involve a commute down the North Western Motorway, and has no meaningful investment into it apart from Westgate
Heck West Auckland is now the poor cousin of the Auckland region with South Auckland to continue leaps and bounds in good fortunes
So yes Sir Bob how do you reconcile those issues in your old home town?
Talking Southern Auckland 
In fact two of our Elected Reps in Waitakere live in Posh Central Auckland Suburbs (1 council Ponsonby, 1 board Waterfront). Plus our Ex Mayor who is head of the Waterfront. They find it more convenient to get to their jobs – Lol. – and just have vacation homes on the westy beaches. Meanwhile families with normal jobs – living in the real Westy suburbs and dealing with the economic realities of run down suburbs,without proper infrastructure and lack of investment.
Truer words were never spoken. Go Ben Ross you good thing. Speaking for the people!