5 December 2018

The Local Government Commission has agreed to assess an application seeking the alteration of the boundary between Horowhenua District and Palmerston North City.

The application seeks to have the southern boundary of the city extended to include the township of Tokomaru and the surrounding area, and the neighbouring locality of Opiki. These communities currently fall within Horowhenua.

The decision means that the Commission will consider the application through the process set out in Schedule 3 of the Local Government Act. The decision reflects the Commission’s agreement that the application contained sufficient information and provided sufficient evidence of community support for the process to be commenced.

The next step in the process will be for the Commission to formally publicly notify the application and invite alternative applications for the affected area. This will occur early in the New Year, as the Commission did not consider taking this step so close to the Christmas break would be conducive to effective engagement with the affected communities.

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