Their current position is similar to the Blues -- full of potential for a number of years, contains a number of individuals who think they are great, exhibit no team work so aren't making any progress and have a head coach and management team who are under serious threat. Full of excuses for poor performance, always promising to do better but it never happens.
To me, this sounds exactly like the current decision-making process that exists within Hawke's Bay and the left field ideas that are erupting. Three that spring to mind are: Wave Ponds, Clay Tennis Courts and a Velodrome. No consultation, no needs analysis, just pure grandstanding for nothing other than publicity purposes. We all live in a province where other matters -- social welfare, employment and economic growth -- are far more urgent.
Amalgamate (The group in favour of amalgamation, who can see the bigger picture and all of the benefits).
Their current position is similar to that of the Hurricanes. For years they have been working as individuals trying to make progress and finally they have recognised that individuals playing as a team will always beat a team of individuals.
They decided that if they stayed the same they'd make no progress and this year would be no better than previous years -- spectator numbers would continue to fall and so would team morale.
At the beginning of 2015 the importance of a unified team (amalgamation) became uppermost in their minds. They became focused on a single goal and as a team took pride in their achievements and so did the wider community.
Success breeds success and others come on board to be part of the action.
One only needs to reflect on the changes that have occurred across the world and within New Zealand since the start of the new millennium to realise that staying with the status quo means you are only marking time while watching those in the fast lane go zooming by. If you wait another twenty years, the mind boggles at how far in front the opposition will be.
Hawke's Bay has been in the slow lane but this amalgamation referendum gives us a chance to change lanes and actually accelerate into the fast lane.
To do this we will need to drop the anchors (Status Quo team members) and search for those with positivity, creativity, knowledge, business acumen, financial expertise, leadership and above all those who connect with the human factor and are team players.
It is you, the ratepayer of today, who will decide the future of Hawke's Bay and when you do come to vote, think of where you want Hawke's Bay to be in the year 2035 when those born today will need a job to support you.
Is it the Status Quo team or the Amalgamate team you need to put your faith in?
Forget what the anti brigade keep telling us about Auckland and the negatives they keep on dredging up. It's like comparing Hawke's Bay to Stewart Island.
Look at what Lee Kwan Yew, who died recently, did for Sing-apore for thirty years. When he started he certainly wasn't a member of the Status Quo team, living in the slow lane.
If this proposal fails to get more than 50 per cent support in the referendum in around three months time, it will be more than twenty years before another opportunity will arise.
* Malcolm Dixon is a Hastings district councillor.
* Business and civic leaders, organisers, experts in their field and interest groups can contribute opinions. The views expressed here are not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz.
* Viewpoints on the amalgamation debate can be submitted for consideration and will be used as long as no council resources, money, time or expertise are used in their preparation. This is a requirement of the Local Government Act 2002.
