Urban Rural Divide

For years it has been purported that there has been an urban rural divide.

New Zealand used to have a population where nearly everyone had a contact or family that had a rural connection. It was common to have holidays on a farm or to go and stay with relatives and enjoy a break from city life.

Kiwis understood what went on in the country and there was a common sense of purpose .

Over the last few years with a surge in population the division is more apparent and the latest round of Government dictates has emphasised how far things have moved .How the gap has widened and how out of touch some urbanites are with the rural sector.

Some of the suggestions coming out of suburbia to solve Local Government problems are frankly scary and underline how far down the track we are to ignoring the importance of the rural sector and its key role in leading export returns for New Zealand.

The South Island is surging ahead with a shift in population discovering once quiet , comfortable and beautiful surroundings that are now being settled with carefully coloured and positioned houses that overlook lakes and valleys and vineyards that will soon be spoilt in the rush.

It's bloody cold in the winter but that's good for skiing and closed roads and panel beaters .

The urban excitement taking place is going to play out in more control of rural problems, as the Government shifts democratic decision making  from land owners to wannabe landowners and environmental zealots  that think they understand nature. 

One suggested solution to changing local government has a business model with experts around a table making decisions (because business people know best) .They will have representatives of all interested parties of course but once set up it will be an arrogant takeover of ratepayers money in to yet another trough for mates and matesses.

We are in for a major shift to urban control of rural areas and farmers, growers and related people of the land are in for a very difficult time.    

   

Unfathomable

Over the last week their have been many media stories about the forced local government  agenda and it is truly alarming the extent and speed by which things are rolling out.

As well, it is alarming that the variations being proposed are creating an absolute mish mash of options that are going to have ratepayers crying in their home havens while trying to decipher what is happening to their councils that have become agents of theft and chambers of non representation.

One council came out and said there is no way they are going to play the game and another had options that read like the  confusion of a kindergarten playground . Clearly no clear organisation and a poor attempt at appeasing a bullying government .

New proposed councils that have urban Mayors leading regions is going to lead to mayhem among rural ratepayers and before long calls to reinstate what we had established. 

A Minister came out and said he had been told to go harder and faster. By whom? 

That has to be a big porkie and if true, could only come from those who have an agenda that believes in the tooth fairy that tells them the rates will come down if they do as they are told.

It is a pity the Minister was not questioned by the compliant media person although he was part of the crowd who have been convinced bigger is better and rates will be reduced. 

Another horror story came from another minister who , while puffed up like a pious pigeon , said that if councils don't do as they are told the invisible bureaucrats in Wellington will make the decision for them' This is wrong on so many fronts and yet there is little resistance.     

It is a totally undemocratic and affront to ratepayers to think that  the shiny arse brigade residing in Wellington have any idea of the complicated makeup of regional New Zealand and how local government operates.

Imposing  the urban approach to many rural areas throughout the country is going to challenge long time established norms and pitch rural against urban like never before.

All ratepayers want rates to come down but this is not the way to do it.       

 

 Forcing Ratepayers

I'm surprised there has not been more pushback from ratepayers over a Government threatening to force councils to amalgamate in some form or face the wrath of a Minister who is driven by some ideological dream that has convinced him that bigger is better and Central government knows better than the people on the ground.

It was telling this last week when a former  National Minister,  now Councillor , admitted that after supporting the Auckland Super Council he now sees it as a failure.

The touted savings never eventuated and in fact have increased by 25% and staff numbers keep growing.

This is what will happen around the country if the dictates of the current minister occur.  

Local Government is just that , local. That's the way it should stay . The bigger is better argument does not apply in this situation because of the roles of councils and the variation of situations throughout New Zealand.

The worst part of the equation is the elimination of Regional Councils.

The role of Regional Councils is critical in maintaining an infrastructure around catchments that has been only too critical in recent times. 

If they are absorbed in to unitary authorities the importance of regional issues such as pests, catchments ,water , air , TB, transport and others will be diminished by the urban clamour for dollars for never ending desires of never been in business busybodies who expand their expenditure like a ratepayer bungy .

There will also be small councils that are fiscally responsible and have little or no debt that will get swallowed up in the quest for council perfection.

That's without getting in to the ownership of assets like ports that were deliberately given to regional councils in the 1998 restructuring. 

That's another big argument.   

 An End to 2C

Those in category 2c following Gabrielle have had a long wait to finally see the tag removed.

It was like a mark on your life as though you had done something wrong. Now the work that is being done or will be done to theoretically make us safer has proven enough to authorities to shift us all back to the land of normal.

No one out there in wider society will have any idea about the effectiveness or not of a reaction that has cost millions in questionable expenditure.

It is amazing what can be done with modelling but all the modelling in the world will not replace accumulated  experience and logic of learned engineers and long term residents that  could have been instrumental in injecting solutions for the people that did not cost a fortune and maintained our  long term prospects.

It has been sad to see a community go from an area where it was sought after, a prime location, thriving,  productive and busy to a shadow of itself and now being eyed up by some who have no respect for the potential that still exists in the surrounding land.           

 Amalgamation Mess

The more examples of proposed  amalgamation plans that are gaining media attention , the more it explains the folly of the move to force local government to travel down a path no one really wants.

It is highly likely the wrong people are in charge of coming up with these plans in the first place and the politics behind the scenes must be extraordinary.

It really is a mess.

To solve a problem first one must understand what one is trying to solve. Local Government is a strange beast as there are so many variables in the best country in the world and trying to fit all these variables in to the same box is a task fraught with difficulty .

Aside from the complexity is the raft of legislation that dictates the course of local government .So many dictates that guide the people through their complicated lives.

Options appearing include total amalgamations, part amalgamations , unitary authorities, halving authorities and some saying no to any change.

I think this reflects the stupidity of government trying to force ratepayers into a corner. 

The problem with local government was never properly identified thus the dire situation we are in ow and it will get worse if there is follow through.

There was at least one Mayor or former Mayor who identified what were the problems and how to approach them.

Hooray.

We are going to end up with a terrible model of local government and at a time when water is being corporatised along with other major legislative changes the future is looking extremely challenging.       

 Reforms Agenda

What is the agenda of those pushing the RMA reforms?

The agenda is supposedly aimed at making Local Government more efficient , less costly to ratepayers and to have less regulation to allow more development.

During the week it was apparent again from the proponents  that they were working in this void where they were oblivious to historical events and as well they were deaf to any advice from experienced operators who understand the past performance of legislation and reasons why there were reactions and actions played out in case law and  events that had a shaped a path to deal with managing resources.

Young Ministers sit in the house and spout as though nothing significant  has happened historically in the area of responsibility.  

It is hard to comprehend.

Simon Upton had made some sensible comments in response to what is happening and the response from the Minister of unnecessary reforms was scathing in his put down of  a once respected Minister.

Around the country we have reports coming out with similar themes. Oh there will be savings by reducing the number of administrative staff . Millions and millions but surprise surprise the council activities will still be required and in no time a new setup will expand and we will be back to square one.

What will happen to democracy? 

New large authorities will be more distant from the ratepayers and there will be no more 'local' in local democracy.   

We are in for a rough ride in the next few years.

Authorities

They came and wrecked our houses

ripping them apart

tearing out the organs 

the kitchen , showers and bath.

Nothing stood in the way

It was a target

holding tight held no sway.

They could rip it from the hinges, rip it from the floor,

prise it from its brackets

going door to door.

It didn't take long

for the ghosts , unseen , to leave a shell.

An  unwelcome response, at a time of living hell.