Is it time for Wairarapa's three small councils to amalgamate

With South Wairarapa home to one of the highest rates rises in the country this year, a merger proposal is being considered by a working group comprising all three councils in the region. Carterton and Masterton have kept their rates increases to single digits, however South Wairarapa District Council's ratepayers have been hit with an increase of almost 20 percent. Amalgamation has previously been mooted, including a lacklustre bid for a Greater Wellington regional supercity in 2015, encompassing Wairarapa. Since then, there's been exponential growth in Wairarapa putting serious pressure on already ageing infrastructure as new subdivisions spring up. In Featherston there are issues with flooding, Martinborough's waste water system is struggling to cope and the whole region's roads have taken a hammering during recent major weather events. We have a trio of mayors, South Wairarapa's Martin Connelly, Carterton's  Ron Mark, and from Masterton Gary Caffell to dissect the issues.