Proposed closure ‘a massive blow to our district’

Central Hawke’s Bay mayor Alex Walker: "Once again it is rural New Zealand bearing the brunt of these decisions."

Alex Walker is Central Hawke’s Bay mayor.

OPINION

In the last week, we found out that NZME proposes to close the CHB Mail and 13 other community newspapers around the motu.

I am devastated.

It’s a big word to use for a little newspaper. But it’s a necessary word.

Once again, it is rural New Zealand bearing the brunt of these decisions. We are told we are the backbone of New Zealand’s economy, yet we are hindered on every side. Our banks were taken away, and now it could be our newspapers.

Why is it that rural New Zealand is the one that always has to do without?

Closing the CHB Mail would be a massive blow to our district – for many, especially our elderly population, this is their lifeline to the community.

The CHB Mail is our community newspaper, it’s where we discuss our district, we tell our stories and, most importantly, we connect.

It’s the one constant thing that reassures our community members.

It’s reliably there in our letterboxes every Thursday, throughout Covid-19 and Cyclone Gabrielle. It was the source of truth, kept people connected to the district when they were being asked to stay home, and when Gabrielle took hold, the team were there to tell the stories, to update the issues, fight for justice and print the photos as testament to what was happening.

There are other impacts. Legally, we have to advertise planned lane and road closures, bridge restrictions, alcohol permits – the list goes on. How do we ensure people who need to know about these activities are still in the loop?

Our people now face the possibility of being isolated from important information and debate.

The issues and concerns of our small but significant community will be forced to compete with the issues of people in Napier and Auckland to see sunlight.

But let’s be clear, this is not just a “local” issue – this is something everybody should be concerned about. There is a relationship between being able to follow local (genuinely local) news and being more likely to participate in political processes or engage with elected representatives. Closing our local paper is a real and serious threat to democracy.

We would lose a newspaper focused solely on what our people need to know. As a result, we would lose so much more.

I have already spoken to mayors and we will be speaking to NZME about the decision. There must be a better way forward than to sit back and accept this.

Editor’s note: NZME, the owner of the CHB Mail, has proposed the closure of 14 community print publications, including the Mail. Our team has been asked to provide feedback on the proposed changes and we’ll keep you updated on what’s happening in coming weeks.