Clean-up plan may ostracise

Not all councillors were happy with the spend or the intent of the CBD programme. Photo / Duncan Brown

The plan to clean up anti-social behaviour in Hastings' CBD is missing the "brown component" and will serve to ostracise rather than salvage those causing trouble in the middle of town.

Hastings District Council yesterday agreed to spend another $40,000 to employ two more city assist staff, in addition to the current four, to provide seven-day coverage of the CBD. It had already tagged $40,000 for the six-month trial.

It also agreed to $18,545 to employ guardians for the newly opened city skate park and night-time security for five months.

Work on developing the anti-social behaviour bylaw, as an extra tool for council's staff and police to use for inner city security, would cost $25,000.

Community safety manager Philip Evans said a similar bylaw was in 2008, which prohibited spitting and other anti-social behaviour, but it was removed. "However council has now informally expressed the desire to develop a bylaw explicitly, in a public way, what the expectations are or behaviour in the CBD."

In total, $125,545 had now been put towards solving the security problems.

Not all councillors were happy with the spend or the intent of the CBD programme.

Councillor Wayne Bradshaw was disappointed the Maori wardens were not mentioned in the report presented to council yesterday.

He noted the wardens had been an important part of the new plan but operated in a voluntary capacity. There was no mention of funding provision for the wardens.

Council staff said there was a meeting with the wardens to discuss their involvement.

Councillor Henare O'Keefe thought the wardens should be involved from the start.

"I did read this document but could not find the brown component and that should be inserted ASAP."