Address on the environment by Dr Peter Cleave, candidate for Mana in Rangitikei to a meeting of constituents in Bunnythorpe, Rangitikei Electorate 21.10.11

There is now an unholy mix of national and local politics happening in the Manawatu.

This has involved;

1 Ian Mckelvie standing for Rangitikei as he leaves the Mayoralty of Manawatu

2 Iain Lees- Galloway supporting the Palmerston North City Council as it appeals against a possible fine of $600,000 for polluting the Manawatu River.

3 At the same time disaffected employees of Horizons continue to defect. The latest of these is Alisdair Beverage following Greg Carlyon. The atmosphere at Horizons might best be described as dysfunctional. The heading for a critical editorial in the Manawatu Evening Standard of October 5th said it all; ‘Horizons needs to claw back credibility.’

• These matters are connected. Horizons Council issued an abatement notice to the Palmerston North City Council on October the 7th. Lees Galloway is calling this a ‘’grenade’ (Janine Rankin, Manawatu Evening Standard October 21st).

• The abatement notice requires PNCC to stop the discharge from the Totara Road wastewater management plant from causing significant adverse effects on aquatic life downstream by the end of November.

• There are threats all the way up the line with Dr Nick Smith the Minister for the Environment saying that Horizons might face the same fate as Environment Canterbury.

• This is a mess. And unfortunately this mess has happened in and around the Manawatu River one of the most heavily polluted rivers in the world.

• It has to be asked whether Iain Lees Galloway is being disingenuous. If there was not an election on right now would he be making the same noises?

• And it also needs to be asked whether this is responsible behaviour. The Manawatu River is being polluted by the Palmerston North City Council through its plant at Totara Road. To pretend otherwise or to support the bad behaviour of the council in any way would be irresponsible.

• Support for a polluter is misplaced and Lees Galloway is providing this for the Palmerston North City Council.

• There seems to be no end to political opportunism here. Lees Galloway goes for the headline, McKelvie moves from local to national politics just as the position he leaves, the leadership of Horizons is strongly challenged by departing and disgruntled employees.

• Are either McKelvie or Lees Galloway actually helping the environment here?

• And Beveridge and Carlyon are scathing in their criticism of Horizons. Beverage says in the Manawatu Standard of October 21st of Horizons council members,’ Some have their own agendas that are no possibly not in the best interests of the organisation and some of them are trying to confuse the issues.’

• Leadership issues are arising across the board here and unfortunately the environment in the Manawatu and elsewhere is suffering. It is tragic that this is happening with the Manawatu River, a river that deserves respect and support right now.

• Mana is horrified at this conflation and confusion of municipal and national roles. The local government situation is well out of control with Horizons suing the Palmerston North city Council in this way, key people leaving like the Mayor and senior environmental strategists.

• The clean-up of the Manawatu environment might best start with the politicians.

Dr Cleave closed the meeting by asking constituents to remember his name and that of the political movement that he represents, the Mana Movement. And above all perhaps, to remember the Manawatu River.

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