Rotorua initially explored a three-way proposal with Taup\u014d and South Waikato. Those plans fell apart after Taup\u014d District Council decided it was not in a position to continue with a merger.<\/p>\n
South Waikato was then described as a \u201clocked in\u201d partner last week, but shifted its focus to a possible Waikato River catchment proposal with Waip\u0101 and Waikato district councils at the last minute.<\/p>\n
South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley said his council had been forced to \u201creassess our position\u201d after Taup\u014d withdrew, with the Waikato option emerging \u201cat the 11th hour\u201d.<\/p>\n
That left Rotorua without a merger partner, prompting the council to pursue its own unitary authority within the wider Bay of Plenty proposal.<\/p>\n
Rotorua would effectively keep its current district boundaries and become its own unitary authority rather than merging with neighbouring councils.<\/p>\n
Mayor Tania Tapsell said the proposal presented an opportunity for Rotorua.<\/p>\n
\u201cStaff have done absolutely phenomenal work getting this together in a short timeframe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is actually a really exciting opportunity for us to create a unitary [authority] instead of our communities having to deal with two councils; they can just deal with one.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do believe there are efficiencies to come from this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposal would combine Rotorua Lakes Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council functions into a single authority.<\/p>\n
Councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait was the only councillor to vote against the proposal.<\/p>\n
\u201cBad government should not be supported, and this is an example of bad government,\u201d Raukawa-Tait said.<\/p>\n
Rotorua Lakes councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait. Photo \/ Andrew Warner<\/p>\n
She said there was not enough detail because of the short timeframe and was disappointed councils across the country had not rejected the proposal together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are being bullied,\u201d she said. \u201cI wonder if at the end of the day we might burden our ratepayers with this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai Fong abstained from the vote, saying she wanted to wait for confirmation that Rotorua\u2019s proposal aligned with the positions of other Bay of Plenty councils.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we are being forced into making a bad decision,\u201d Kai Fong said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have legislation, rules, adequate timeframes, or due diligence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a momentous intergenerational decision, and we are being asked to make it in three months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai Fong. Photo \/ Laura Smith<\/p>\n
The remaining councillors voted in favour of the proposal but also raised concerns about the process.<\/p>\n
Karen Barker said councillors had \u201cbeen forced into a corner on a chessboard that is not easy to play on\u201d but believed the risk of entering the Government\u2019s Back Stop process outweighed her concerns.<\/p>\n
Gregg Brown echoed concerns that councils were being \u201cbullied\u201d into the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has gone too far and too fast, but the risk is of losing representation built up over decades that we cannot take,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n