Council impacts on all of our lives, every day and in so many ways. Some are quite obvious, like flushing the toilet, driving to work or watering our garden. But others are less obvious, like having a coffee in Sundial Square, going for a swim at Aniseed Valley or taking your kids for a play at the playground.
Councils need to be able to plan for all of a community’s needs, big or smallneeds, big or small; water, roading, wastewater, libraries, cemeteries, parks and so forth.
Councils need to be able to plan for all of a community’s needs, big or smallneeds, big or small; water, roading, wastewater, libraries, cemeteries, parks and so forth.
What each community needs, and its priorities, will vary greatly from person to person, town to town, area to area. There are also not just ‘urban needs’ and ‘rural needs’. For example, the needs and priorities in St Arnaud are different to those in Bainham; Dovedale is different to Pakawau; Richmond is different to Motueka; Wakefield is different to Takaka.
And communities are not just geographically based; the business community has different needs and priorities to the residential community.
It is the role and responsibility of a Council to balance all of the various needs and priorities of every community. They need to ensure the needs and priorities of residential ratepayers are not overshadowed by the lobbying of big business.
The time has come for you to consider what sort of Council you want and need. Is it a large inaccessible bureaucracy that focuses on the needs of big business; or one that is able to be responsive to the needs of the individual ratepayer, the individual community?
Larger bureaucracies tend to disenfranchise people – it is easier for things to slip between the cracks; easier to have non-performing staff members; harder for the public to access the people they need to; and harder for the public to be involved in decision-making.
We are in the enviable position of having unitary authorities overseeing both the territorial and regional responsibilities of Nelson and Tasman. It is the dual layer of governance that has proved problematic elsewhere – Auckland’s biggest woes were transportation and regional responsibilities; and Environment Canterbury councillors were sacked over its water management responsibilities and resource consent processes.
The proposed one council introduces a complex second tier of governance comprising a Rural Advisory Committee, a Maori Board and two Community Boards. The Local Government Commission has estimated an increase of nearly $500,000 a year to maintain this two-tier governance structure.
Our communities have their own strong local character, identity and ability to influence decisions.
Perhaps one of the most significant decisions for Nelson and Tasman, and for each of you personally, is now in your hands.
Choose your community. Choose local democracy.
Voting papers will be in your hands soon and it is important that you have your say, by voting against amalgamation. Not voting is a vote for amalgamation.
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