Community boards under threat of closure

The future of three community boards is under threat as the Matamata-Piako District Council believes them unnecessary.

Six appeals in total were heard at the Local Government Commission (LGC) meeting  in Te Aroha last week.

Although there were appeals heard from locals and chairpersons of the boards in question, the council believes the boards are unnecessary and that ward councillors would be able to undertake board functions.

Mayor Hugh Vercoe told the LGC  the district has communities that do engage with their council and is what the council wants.

“We consider the community boards to be a total duplication. This decision to disestablish the boards won’t reduce the representation of the local people,” Mr Vercoe said.

The council told the Commission they had accepted the proposal to disestablish the community boards after they had received “significant support” from locals.

Mr Vercoe also said the current community boards are not adding value to the area and therefore are unneeded.

However, Te Aroha community board chairperson Mary Massey said the success of the communities rely on the continued support and operation of the community boards.

“For dealing with all the people in the community, there is no way for councillors to be part of all of it if they disestablish the boards,” she said.

Morrinsville community board chairperson Ann Linstrom also spoke about the continued success of the communities.

Mrs Linstrom said the Morrinsville community board is important to the people of the town.

According to Mr Vercoe disestablishing the community boards was “not a driving decision to save money”.

LGC chairman Basil Morrison told the appellants that the commission could come to a conclusion around mid to late February.

The final decision as to the fate of community boards has to be made no later than April 11 next year.

Community boards represented at the LGC meeting were Te Aroha, Matamata and Morrinsville community boards and the Keep Morrinsville Beautiful board.