Change to Christchurch City Council Draft Annual Plan submissions process a backward move

For those people making a submission on the Christchurch City Council Draft Annual Plan 2016–2017 and amended Long Term Plan 2015–2025, a significant change has been introduced i.e. removal of the formal opportunity, which allowed a submitter 10 minutes to speak to their written submission in front of the full Council.

The draft annual plan public consultation allows all citizens to feel part of the democratic process. It encourages the community to participate, contribute, and understand how their local authority is serving them.

The opportunity to make an oral submission or speak to a written submission is well recognised as a critical provision for allowing citizens a further opportunity to influence decision-makers.

The extent to which submitters feel their input is valued can be assessed by determining how willing they perceive their elected representatives to be to receive the opinions of citizens and also the opportunities available for providing input at a number of levels.

In abandoning the oral submission process, the Christchurch City Council has introduced a new initiative i.e. hosting a number of “Have Your Say" events, where residents can provide feedback in person either through community board events or to all councillors through "Citywide Councillor" informal “conversation” events.

Over the history of the Christchurch City Council, many of the City’s residents have entered the Council Civic Chamber to speak to their councillors about their draft annual plan submissions.

This Council has now decided to abandon this significant level of democratic participation, replacing the formal oral submission process with a series of informal conversational workshops.

No explanation has been offered to Christchurch residents, groups, businesses or the media, setting out why this change was considered necessary or justified.

Momentus PR was only made aware of this change on Monday 9 May, and has now taken the opportunity to canvas a number of individuals and groups, including several media outlets.

Feedback so far indicates a very strong disapproval of the Christchurch City Council decision to scrap the oral submission process, with many not even aware that the opportunity to speak to their submission was no longer an available option.

Momentus PR initial observations:

In my professional opinion, this new initiative is a“significant erosion of residents' and community groups' formal right to speak directly to their mayor and councillors, a denial of the annual opportunity to speak with passion on issues of importance and answer councillors' questions arising.”

The Christchurch City Council talks about improving engagement and transparency. However, this year, it has removed the residents' long-standing traditional right to speak formally to the councillors and mayor about their submission on the draft Annual Plan.

The Council's removal of the formal right of residents to be heard in person is a backward move and contrary to the mayor's public statements about improving the interaction between the Council and the residents of Christchurch.

It is worth observing that Parliament considers the hearing of oral submissions through the select committee process to be a constitutional right for every NZ citizen.

Why then does the Christchurch City Council believe that its residents are not entitled to the same democratic right that Parliament affords every NZ citizen!

ENDS

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