Supercity dead in the Hutt Valley

Hutt Valley residents have firmly rejected a supercity for the Wellington region, says Lower Hutt Mayor, Ray Wallace.

A Hutt Valley community survey and a Colmar Brunton poll show firm support for the status quo with enhanced shared services by the majority of 7000 residents who responded. A United Hutt Valley is the preferred alternative if change is forced upon the region.

“Our communities have made a strong and clear statement that plans for a supercity are dead,” he says.

“People are passionate about this issue and are telling us no to a supercity.”

“Our job is to make sure the Local Government Commission knows the depth of local feeling.”

A Colmar Brunton telephone poll reinforces the findings of the community Your Voice Your Choice survey. Both surveys were conducted over the period from late May to mid June 2013

The survey findings bring to six the number of councils in the region firmly against a supercity – Masterton, Carterton, and South Wairarapa District Councils are pushing for a single unitary authority and Kapiti District Council wants to retain the current system.

“We are going to report back to our respective communities and meet as separate councils and make decisions about our next action,” says Mayor Wallace.

“We are very pleased with the overwhelming response from the 7000 residents of the Hutt Valley who made their views known to us through both the community survey and the Colmar Brunton poll.

“This is the biggest single response to any survey we have conducted in the history of both councils, and is the largest regional response to this issue – and that is a voice we must listen to.

“Now we will get on with it,” he says.