Support for peninsula scheme

Christchurch City Council is supporting a call by some Banks Peninsula voters for their district to be abolished and become part of Christchurch City.

At its April meeting, the Council voted to support the abolition/ inclusion scheme. Its submission to the Local Government Commission (LGC) urges it to look favourably on the proposal and consider making the peninsula a seventh ward of the city, with a single community board. If the scheme were to go ahead, the City Council favours the area electing seven community board members and one councillor, who would be appointed to sit on the peninsula board.

The proposal was launched in November by a petition of Banks Peninsula voters.

The City Council’s submission says it would give the peninsula community board the same delegations as those given to its existing boards and that current service levels in the district would be maintained for up to five years. As well, it believes the councils and that of neighbouring Selwyn district need to discuss some changes to their boundaries.

The LGC was taking submissions on the proposal until 30 April. It will now investigate the idea and, if the proposal is not withdrawn, it will decide whether to issue a draft reorganisation scheme. It can base such a scheme on the proposal, modify it or decide it should not go ahead at all. If it went ahead, the LGC would issue a draft reorganisation scheme, invite further public input, consider any submissions and decide whether to issue a final reorganisation or to leave things as they are.

If a final reorganisation scheme was issued, a poll would be held of voters in Banks Peninsula District. A scheme is put into effect if a majority of those who vote in the poll are in favour.

Peter Mitchell, the Council’s general manager of Regulation and Democracy Services, says the change, if it is supported by the LGC, is unlikely to happen this year.

“It’s not going to be completed before the local body elections on 9 October,” Mr Mitchell says. “Christchurch and Banks Peninsula will both be electing new councils in October and, once the commission has made its decisions, those two organisations will work through the issue.”

• A City Council report about the Banks Peninsula scheme is available on the web, at www.ccc.govt.nz/council/proceedings/2004/april/suppchairstratfin.pdf
• More information about the LGC process is under “guidelines” at www.lgc.govt.nz