Hello Bruce

I think the two most significant issues relating to amalgamation are representation in the district and whether there is a financial benefit with having one amalgamated council.

Tasman is a district with two larger townships, Richmond and Motueka, several smaller townships and a wide and diverse rural community.  Maintaining acceptable representation where our communities feel connected to the Council is an ongoing challenge, very important to me and my councillor colleagues.  I would expect that if we had one Council for Nelson and Tasman the elected replresentatives would predominantly come from the urban centre of Richmond, Stoke and Nelson.  There is a high risk that rural representation would decline.

I had asked that before the Commission proceeded with their investigation into amalgamation, they would conduct an independant financial analysis of the costs and benefits of amalgamation.  The Commission has decided that in the interests of a timely process they will start without that analysis.  As we don\'t have that analysis I wont conclude the financial benefits one way or the other.

In its absence however, my commitment is to work constructively with neighbouring Councils to continue to develop shared services beyond what we have already, in order to maximise the resulting financial benefits.  This can be achieved without amalgamation, by Nelson and Tasman working constructively together, something I am committed to.