I read the Talking Point in this morning's HB Today with a degree of amazement.
Lawrence Yule – who likes in public at least, to give the impression of taking the moral high ground, has a go, not only at the Deputy Mayor of Napier but also at all of us who are aware that amalgamation will not provide the answer to our woes.
Because Faye White and most other people who just want a better Hawke's Bay – as against those who want to control HB, are anti-amalgamation, Lawrence labels us anti-growth and anti-change.
That is just silly and irresponsible. Of course everyone wants growth and jobs and an improved economy. Why wouldn't we? And to label us anti-change when the Napier City Council's original submission to the Local Government Commission included ideas for substantial change, is equally irresponsible.
Clearly the pro-amalgamation lobby is getting rattled. When they trot the Mayor of Hastings out to make derogatory remarks about those of us who know amalgamation is not in the best interest of the province, they have really got issues. For Lawrence to suggest that because we are anti-amalgamation we are seeking to hold on to our positions of power is laughable. If it wasn't it would be insulting.
And this from someone who presided over Local Government NZ as they changed the rules of the organisation to allow him to remain the President.
To suggest the current proposal from the Local Government Commission cannot be compared to Auckland is simply misleading. Sure Auckland is a hell of a lot bigger than us but it is not the size we are talking about but the structure.
The structure that is failing Auckland is the same structure proposed for Hawke's Bay.
Lawrence Yule and his A Better Hawke's Bay team set out to restructure the governance of Hawke's Bay in 2009. In 2013 they produced a brochure saying they were going to cure child poverty, create 5000 new jobs and save the province $25m. Much of those savings were to be achieved by reducing the number of elected and paid representatives and reducing staff numbers in Councils.
These same people now say they support the latest proposal for reorganisation despite the fact it substantially increases the number of elected and paid representatives. Not only that, the current proposal adds another whole level to bureaucracy. They have tossed in a Maori Board and a Regional Planning Board as well.
The latest proposal is an absolute recipe to repeat the staffing and cost blow-outs that Auckland is suffering from. All these added levels of representation need to be supported by administration staff – the idea is a nonsense.
Lawrence also tells us he has yet to meet a person who would not love an increase in house value of 50% over 3 years.
Clearly his kids are provided for in terms of their future. The average person knows that if their house goes up by 50% it is going to be almost impossible for their kids to get into their own home. The last thing I would want is to create an environment like the shambles in Auckland.
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