Fenton Darien: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
Fenton Darien: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6470] 
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
: 
 I want to get back to another topic. Mr Key called for an uprising in Rodney. He did not mean Rodney Hide although he got that as well but boy did he get one in Rodney District! That was because of the Cabinet decision that was suddenly announced out of the blue to exclude north Rodney from the super-city. It caught locals and the Auckland Regional Council by complete surprise. They were shocked and horrified. Let us remember that the Government wanted to split the Rodney district at the Puhoi River and Makarau River severing the northern townships and settlements as well as isolating six regional parks that all Aucklanders treasure: Mahurangi Scandrett Tawharanui Pakiri Te Arai and Atiu Creek. So the people of Rodney organised. They organised a meeting which was held last week and was packed with angry residents. Speaker after speaker expressed their views about the very dumb idea of merging Rodney north of Wairoa with the Kaipara District Council. 
The Auckland Regional Council voted unanimously last week to demand that the Government leave the Auckland boundaries alone. That decision was undemocratic just like the rest of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill. I have to say that the Prime Minister has marginally redeemed himself on this one by making yet another U-turn. Possibly it is because part of Rodney is in his electorate. Perhaps that is the reason. The people were up in arms and on the march and he would have paid for it in his electorate. Mind you people do not forget that quickly or easily. This Government will pay the price for mucking Rodney around. 
I am really pleased that the Government reversed its decision because it was a decision that we would have all paid for. Services and the quality of life in the northern townships and settlements in rural areas would have declined. Rates would have gone up some of the coast’s exceptional natural beauty would have been lost and the regional parks would have been put at risk. Greedy developers would have moved in and the Kaipara District Council would have had no chance of stopping them. I say again that the process was appalling. The northern boundary change was never put out for public consideration. Most—well all—Rodney residents had no say on the issue even though they made enormous efforts to be heard by the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee. They came along and put in a huge amount of effort to be heard yet suddenly out of the blue came this decision. Why did they have to be put through all that trauma? Why did they have to go through that? I say good on Rodney for organising and good on it for the uprising. I do not mean Rodney Hide. I say good on the people of Rodney and all power to their arms. 
Then there is Hunua. Poor old Dr Paul Hutchinson— 
Lynne Pillay 
: Hutchison. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: Is it Hutchison or Hutchinson? 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: I do not think we need to have your dissertation again. I inform Darien Fenton that the member to whom she was referring is called Hutchison. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: Hutchison? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: Yes. There is no “N”. 
DARIEN FENTON 
: Thank you very much Mr Chairperson. I will make an additional point. If we are going to have a name-pronouncing competition may I please be called “Dah-rien” not “Darry-en”. Thank you. 
Poor old Dr Paul has not been listened to. The people of the south have not been listened to by this Government. The boundary in the south will remain unchanged. The current Franklin District will be split just south of Pukekohe with the rest going into the Waikato. The boundary now cuts Waiuku in two and the hairpin in the motor racing track on the southern edge of Pukekohe is in the Waikato. How mad is that for those poor people? 
By the way that is not what the royal commission said. It recommended that there should be no change to either the northern boundary or the southern boundary. The commission set the southern boundary at the Waikato River with Environment Waikato and the Tainui people responsible for managing the river. But the Government has ignored the royal commission it has ignored the people and it has ignored the local member Dr Hutchison. Now we have bewildered confused and angry people in the south. We have fixed one end of Auckland for now but people at the other end are just as up in arms as the people of Rodney were because the towns of Waiuku and Pukekohe will be split right down the middle. That is completely crazy. I feel sorry for the local member because he has to wear this. He is making noises about the Local Government Commission’s discussion on boundaries but I do not think the people will be satisfied with that.