Questionnaire to gauge appetite for reform

Hutt City’s 55,000 households will receive a questionnaire next week seeking residents’ views on local government reform.

The questionnaire aims to give the council a more detailed view of what reform, if any, should be undertaken in the way the Wellington region’s nine regional, district and local councils are structured and operate.

It follows on from a telephone survey of 3,300 residents of the region – 400 of them Hutt residents – conducted on behalf of eight of the councils to gauge the mood for change. The Colmar Brunton survey found that 61 per cent of Hutt residents favoured keeping existing councils and council boundaries, compared with 58 per cent regionally.

In addition to the survey, the council’s three community boards and four community committees are planning a series of public meetings to allow people to make their views known.The questionnaire will go into letterboxes on September 18.

The deadline for replies will be October 26. Residents will also be able to reply on the council’s website.