Who represents me … and you?!

Mon, Jul 16 2012

On Wednesday, the Regional Council will consider its submission to Parliament’s Local Government and Environment Select Committee. Drafted by HBRC staff, the submission would oppose the provisions of the Government’s pending bill designed to streamline the local government reorganisation process.

The bill includes provisions that would enable community groups — like A Better Hawke’s Bay in our region — to initiate reorganisation proposals. It would put a greater burden on those wishing to protect the status quo. And if a poll were required to approve a reorganisation proposal put forward after public consultation by the Local Government Commission, it would require a majority of voters throughout the entire affected region, not just a part of it, to reject the measure. In other words, the new process would ensure the outcome was genuinely democratic, not subject to minority veto as is presently the case.

The Regional Council’s proposed submission would oppose all of these provisions.

I live in the Hastings District.

On Thursday, the Hastings Council will take up its submission on the same legislation. At HDC, it appears that the opposite position is being suggested — Hastings Councillors will be recommended to support the same provisions that HBRC would oppose.

Both of these Councils purport to represent me. Obviously, in this matter, one of them will not.

One more example of the folly of multi-headed ‘leadership’ in Hawke’s Bay … as if we needed another.

Tom Belford

P.S. I intend to make a submission of my own on this legislation. I don’t want there to be any confusion on the part of the Select Committee as to where this resident of Hawke’s Bay stands.

ends

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