We, the people of Maketu community in the Bay of Plenty, express our complete opposition to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council's proposal to merge the Maketu and Te Puke community boards into a single entity. This merger is deeply troubling as it would diminish our representation on the Maketu Community Board from five members to just one. The voice of a community should not be reduced, but amplified, to ensure that every voice matters, and every concern is addressed. Moreover, we urgently call for a comprehensive, fair, and proper public consultation process to be initiated, engaging all communities that could be affected by this proposed amalgamation. Our fundamental right to participate in decisions that affect our community must be respected. Therefore, we implore the District Commissioner to consider the detrimental impact this amalgamation would have on our town's representation and democratic processes and protect our community's rights and representation by overturning this proposed amalgamation.