Submission details
| Submission ID | 11253 |
|---|---|
| Name | Michelle Howie |
| Date | 12 June 2026 |
| How important is to address the challenges that come with working across boundaries |
Extremely important
|
| How important is a growth-ready, rural-aware system |
Extremely important
|
| How important is it to be better for ratepayers |
Somewhat important
|
| How important is the best long-term outcome |
Extremely important
|
| How important is effective decision-making |
Somewhat important
|
| How important is it to strengthen our voice |
Extremely important
|
| How important is more engagement with local democracy |
Extremely important
|
| How important is a resilient region |
Extremely important
|
| How important is statutory and iwi alignment |
Extremely important
|
| How important is it to be evidence-led |
Extremely important
|
| Thinking about potential mergers with other councils, what, if any, opportunities do you see? |
I see sense in the expanded, mini amalgamation with Waikato and Waipa. Those are communities with a big connection to Hamilton already. Lots of alignment and connection to leverage.
|
| Thinking about potential mergers with other councils, what, if any, concerns do you have? |
The wider region of all 11 TAs in the regional council boundary (your map didn't include the small part of Rotorua Lakes) is too large. I have concerns about a unitary of this size.
In contrast, i have concerns about how a smaller Hamilton+ unitary could effectively carry out a portion of the regional council functions. My main concern is that environmental regulation will be lost in the simplification. Or it will be set adrift, homeless, because it is an odd cousin and no one knows how to treat it. That worries me. Regulation within a unitary is tricky to do well, but nationalising it risks losing the vital link to local rules, local decisions, achieving meaningful improvements and making sense to ratepayers |
| Are you giving feedback on behalf of an organisation? |
No, these are my own personal views
|