Rodney Mayor Penny Webster is backing petitioners who want the northern part of the district kept out of the new Auckland super city.
She said today she was fully behind the moves of the Northern Action Group (NAG) which will present a 6000-strong petition on the matter to Parliament this week.
"It is an important and vital aspect of any democracy that people feel they are able to lobby Parliament and have their concerns listened to by MPs and ministers," Mrs Webster said.
"Unfortunately, people in the northern part of Rodney are nervous that their region will become a forgotten area when the new Auckland Council is formed. They believe their overwhelming desire to be left out of the new super city has been ignored by the politicians in Wellington."
Mrs Webster said the NAG had worked extremely hard to gather the 6000 signatures and would present its petition to Speaker of the House and Rodney MP Lockwood Smith and Northland MP John Carter on the steps of Parliament on Wednesday at 11am. The petitioners hope that Local Government Minister Rodney Hide will also be present.
NAG wants the Government to consider a new council based on the Auckland governance select committee recommendation that northern Rodney remain out of the super city and instead be merged with Kaipara District Council.
"I am right behind the people in northern Rodney demanding Wellington to listen to their concerns. They have a voice which they want to be heard and taken seriously," Mrs Webster said.
She said the Rodney District Council had now accepted that it would part of the new Auckland Council and its staff were working hard to make that happen.
"However, this stance does not prevent me as mayor from ensuring that the concerns of constituents in Rodney District who do not wish to be part of this new council are aired and heard."
NZPA