Council is urging residents in the Ashburton District to share their views and rank five possible merger options with neighbouring councils.
The five scenarios include mergers to the north and south, and a status quo-like scenario, although Government expects councils to amalgamate and become bigger entities as part of its Simplify Local Government reform.
Mayor Liz McMillan said council had a short window to decide if it would voluntarily be part of the reform by coming up with a Head Start proposal, or do nothing and be told by government what the future will be.
She encouraged residents to share their preferences in an online questionaire at itsourplace.co.nz or by giving feedback on paper copies available at the Ashburton Library and council offices.
The five scenarios are:
A. Standalone Ashburton District unitary council, using existing boundaries.
B. Rangitata/Rakitata – Rural Selwyn unitary council, taking in Geraldine and rural Selwyn.
C. Ashburton District and Selwyn District unitary council.
D. Ashburton District and South Canterbury unitary council (with or without Waitaki).
E. Mid and North Canterbury provincial unitary council (with or without Kaikoura).
“Take time to read the information around the questionaire as it helps set the scene about why we’re talking to residents and what they could consider when they rank the preferred scenarios.
“There’s also room to tell us if you prefer a different scenario, or have other comments.”
McMillan said the results would help councillors decide Ashburton’s direction under the Head Start pathway.
“There’s still a lot we don’t know about the reforms and our neighbouring councils will have their own priorities. Our top priority is to find the best possible outcome for the Ashburton District and our people.”
The questionaire is available online at itsourplace.co.nz
