Commission says no to a Golden Bay Local Board
The Local Government Commission has decided not to proceed with the establishment of a local board for Golden Bay or elsewhere in Tasman District. In announcing the decision this week, Commission chairperson Brendan Duffy said while the Commission had identified a number of potential benefits from local boards, it was also required to consider the scale of these benefits and the likelihood of them being realised.
As pointed out by submitters, many of the benefits of more local decision-making in Golden Bay could potentially be achieved by the Golden Bay Community Board. For this to happen, however, Mr Duffy said there needed to be commitments by the parties concerned. He also said the Commission believed that, what at times in the past has been a tense relationship between Golden Bay and Tasman District Council, needed to be addressed further.
Mr Duffy said the Commission listened carefully to the views of all submitters and subsequently met with the key parties. As a result, the Commission was confident there was the necessary commitment to address the issues which were behind the original local board application.
Accordingly, the Commission has decided not to proceed with local boards in Golden Bay or elsewhere in the district. Instead, it would like to meet again with the parties to discuss a basis for determining appropriate local decision-making in Golden Bay on an ongoing basis.
The Commission’s full decision is available on the application's website page.
Website page: 2020 Tasman District reorganisation - establishment of a Golden Bay local board
Penny Langley
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
17 November 2020