No one doubts Mayor Craig Little’s passion for Wairoa.
Unfortunately, he’s determined to love his district to death.
Committed from Day 1 to an independent Republic of Wairoa, this week he led his council to a 6-1 vote to withdraw from the Head Start process that has found HB’s three other territorial authorities (TAs) endorsing a single unitary authority for Hawke’s Bay.
To underscore Wairoa’s intention to sail off alone, the resolution specifically notes that WDC is opposed to being incorporated into any unitary plan ultimately devised.
This is intended to ward off the other three TAs from deciding on their own (as the Head Start process allows) to include Wairoa for its own good. “No one speaks for Wairoa, but Wairoa,” warns Mayor Little.
To demonstrate that WDC is not ‘against change’, the Council’s second resolution, passed unanimously, authorises: “Commence investigation of options under the Local Government Act that reflect the community feedback to date.”
That feedback is a reference to Wairoa’s public consultation, which showed support for Mayor Little’s quixotic dream – Wairoa standing on its own as a solitary unitary authority.
The reference to the Local Government Act reflects the fact that there is indeed an existing legal pathway under that Act for councils to seek reorganisation. This was the path used by HB amalgamation advocates in 2015.
Some on the Wairoa Council argue that the Head Start process lacks any legal basis. Mayor Little termed the process “unlawful, unconstitutional and unprincipled”. Councillors conjectured that a plan proposed under Head Start (e.g., one that imposed participation by WDC) could be legally challenged – especially if it were deemed to fly in the face of contrary public opinion.
Some Wairoa councillors expressed potential interest in merging with Gisborne, whose unitary council serves about 17,000 rate paying properties and a population of about 52,700. And is 23 minutes and 20 kilometres closer than Napier. Which they seem to feel is both less threatening and more convenient. Gisborne officials are yet to return the love.
At bottom, Wairoa’s grievance is that it has been and always will be poorly served as a low priority appendage to HB’s urban core. Evidence of that from the past can indeed be tabled (although the most frequent examples refer to health, education and Police service, which are central government responsibilities). But Mayor Little and most of his councillors regard that as an insurmountable law of nature, and therefore see no point in engaging creatively in Head Start to find a regional approach that can meet their concerns and aspirations. Mayor Little boiled it down to: “We will suffer in a HB unitary authority.” Instead, he’ll drown Wairoa’s future in its past.
The Mayor and some councillors opposed to Head Start alleged that the other HB councils had not even shown the courtesy of reaching out to WDC for its views in the process to date.
Other participants in the process dispute that.
Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum commented to BayBuzz:
“On Mayor Little’s comment, I can only speak for Hastings, but it is simply not correct to suggest we made no contact with Wairoa to understand its views. Wairoa has been involved from the outset through the Memorandum of Understanding, the Interim Regional Office, mayoral and chief executive discussions, officer-level work and direct conversations between mayors, including at the recent Zone 3 meeting.
“Wairoa’s position was well understood, and no concern about the level of engagement was raised directly with me by Mayor Little in any of these interactions.
“Councils can understand one another’s positions and still reach different conclusions. That is what has happened here.”
CHB Mayor Will Foley told BayBuzz:
“I would be happy to share my phone log of calls with Mayor Little between May 5 announcement and today and let you decide whether you think “no contact” has been made. Both being similar rural councils we have had numerous robust discussions and debates about the pros and cons of the Headstart process.
“I understand Wairoa District Council officers were involved in most joint staff meetings, collaborating on this topic. I wouldn’t characterise that as “no contact”.
He added: “It’s great to hear WDC have made a decision for their district, which I fully respect. I wish them well with their investigation.”
The CHB, Hastings and Napier Councils will now need to decide if they will proceed to amalgamate only themselves – watching Wairoa’s 8,900 residents drift off with their Captain Little – or write Wairoa into a true HB-wide plan, which the Head Start guidelines permit them to do, or sit back and let the Government ultimately make the call.
