Local Body Re-organisation

It is interesting reading the many columns and comments spraying about in the media over the politicians forced action on re organising Local Government.

The ' Battle of Hastings 1977'

The Mayor of Hastings JJ O'Connor , said in the war over Local Government proposals ."This was a death blow to Hastings hopes for a strong independent ,democratic, regional planning authority and two district councils on the plains"

"The United Council outraged his 'every instinct' for democracy .He did not object to rationilisation but to taxation without representation.

New Zealand has been constantly under attack over the makeup of Local Government .the arguments are nearly always the same and last for years while competing sides jostle for dominance.

The 1989 reforms were possibly a good move as the country developed but it was driven by a Labour Government that may not have had the rural sector front of mind in trying to reshape Districts and Regions.

Hawkes Bay was thrust in to the reorganising argument again 20 years ago when more  of the bigger is better proponents embarked on yet another attempt to scupper the power of the people.

With  the latest attack another bevy of the better people has emerged from the Beehive and rolled out the same arguments only this time they have some traction because public servants have become a law unto themselves and ratepayers have a bad taste in their mouth over continued rate rises and less recognition of economic realities.

It is interesting that the Ministers involved were only just out of nappies when the Hawkes Bay region  was embroiled in patriotic impasses and Chamber of Commerce conniptions  regurgitating motions of earlier Mayors and Councils over the best way to cut a pizza.

The latest attack on Local Government has come from politicians who lack an understanding of Local Government and how it works.

The worst part of the attack is that it has been precipitated in response to a situation of politicians own making.

The Resource Management Act started out as a new way, a permissive approach to manage our resources. 

Fiddling over the years and failing to address handbrake clauses , has created a situation where staff  that have come through the system with the latest environmental indoctrination , have then managed to create a monster.

There are major problems but the answer is not to crush the responsible body , but to remove the irritation from within. 

The issues that need to be dealt with are not going to go away but the approach can be altered or carefully steered in the right direction.

It is possible that the noises being made about new authorities show that misunderstanding the makeup of the  beast may lead to a devil of a creature arising in the night.