Last updated 17:24, May 29 2018
Simon Maude
Miriam Clements is hoping a citizen-initiated referendum could see Auckland's North Shore separate from the rest of the country.
Miriam Clements is hoping a citizen-initiated referendum could see Auckland's North Shore separate from the rest of the country.
A legal strategist wants to see Auckland's North Shore split away from the rest of the country and establish its own independent city state with a separate economy.
Miriam Clements ran for North Shore MP in the 2017 general election with policies of low tax and high government spending, is initiating a citizen's referendum on the idea, which she believes will gain support.
"I believe people on the North Shore have the confidence to try something like this. Functionally, it [the North Shore] has huge potential to become a luxury travel destination."
This would make the area, which according to the 2013 Census is home to 300,000 people, an independent country functioning in a similar manner to Monaco or Singapore.
The North Shore "state" would have its own Reserve Bank and monetary system, possibly even its own currency.
Miriam Clements believes the government is setting the country up for financial ruin and wants to see the North Shore gain independence.
Clements is concerned the country is heading for financial ruin with the Government's plans for multiple new taxes and conservative spending.
Along with governmental concerns, Clements' resolve to see the North Shore go its own way was motivated by recent Auckland Council asset sales - in particular the move to develop Takapuna's Anzac St car park, something she is currently fighting through the High Court.
"There's a mass divestment of public land across Auckland right now. We're divesting essential public services like carparks and open space," Clements said.
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Jan O'Connor believed the proposed referendum would be well supported.
"Auckland Council are selling off all their assets and eliminating all their essential services ... they [North Shore residents] really care about that."
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Jan O'Connor was also in favour of the split and believed there was "a lot of support for it" across the Shore.
"The North Shore has been purged of its land and we're not getting a lot in return ... we're being overlooked," O'Connor said
In order to action a referendum, a request needed to be signed off by the Clerk of Parliament and the governor-general. A public notice on Saturday initiated a formal consultation period.
If Clements' request was successful within the next two months, she would be given a one-year window to collect 400,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, Clements also has a High Court judicial review proceeding against the New Zealand Government for its use of the "chemical weapon" 1080, something she believes is capable of causing Mycoplasma bovis.
Clements insisted her aspiration was more than just a publicity stunt and stood convinced she could get the support she needed from the area.