Media Release
20 December 2011

Amalgamation Petition Announcement

Mayor Richard Kempthorne today welcomed news from the Local Government Commission that a decision on the possible union of Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council will be released on 31 January 2012.

“If the decision is to proceed the matter will go to a vote around the end of April. Of course I would prefer that the matter not proceed for the reasons that have been well and truly canvassed, but at least we now know when the commission will respond to all the public submissions that have been made”

Mayor Kempthorne commented that the incredible way in which the two Council’s have responded to the current civil defence emergency is testimony to the fact that there is already a high level of collaboration between the two Councils.

“We have shown we don’t need a union of the two Councils to deal with things like natural disasters. Our response, along with the many shared services between the Councils, shows we already work together for the benefit of Tasman and Nelson communities, without having to forgo the effective representation of each of our own communities.”

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