Submitting to Palmerston North City Council is not pointless - councillor Kaydee Zabelin

The idea the council doesn’t listen to the community assumes the community is of one united view, Palmerston North city councillor Kaydee Zabelin says. Photo / Kevin Bills Media

OPINION

Submitting.

Ironically, the word for capitulating is the same word used for contributing your voice to a democratic process. There is a common view among the public that submitting to the council is a pointless exercise as we don’t listen. As a former, frustrated submitter I’ve shared this view, but I’ve found that things look different from the other side.

When we make decisions, stacks of technical evidence, analysis, contextual background and sometimes legal opinions are provided to us, in addition to community feedback, where a variety of views are put forth to indicate support, opposition, and suggestions for compromise. No lone submission determines an outcome, but the sum of submissions indicates how contentious or well-supported a proposal is. They help us to question the technical evidence. They can raise mitigations for us to explore.

A recent proposal had 91 in favour and 17 against. One submission claimed more people were opposed, but didn’t submit because they felt their voice wouldn’t be heard - yet by not submitting, their voice definitely wasn’t heard. If they had submitted, the balance of for and against may have been more evenly distributed and given more weight to the objections.

Without those opposing voices, this proposal can fairly be said to have majority support, based on the evidence in front of us, and good decisions rely on good evidence. By not contributing a view, those opposed strengthened the supporting case.

The idea the council doesn’t listen to the community assumes the community is of one united view, which it isn’t. Our community is not homogenous. There are thousands of groups and individuals who all have their own opinions, values and priorities. As representatives, we must acquaint ourselves with this range of perspectives to ensure they are captured in the decision-making process.

On the council sit a vet, a nurse, a teacher, a scientist, a public servant, an analyst (that’s me), a former police commander, students, business owners, and community sector workers. This diversity takes us all into different communities, with different views to engage with and represent. What I enjoy most about this role is advocating for residents and getting to know them. Forming real connections with people leads to a greater understanding of each other and the role the public voice plays in council.

Submissions are a critical factor in how elected representatives can gather and hold all the multitudes of conflicting public views, and reconcile them in the context of the evidence and data each decision puts before us. This is the flip side of representation: governance. We each consider all the evidence. We each get a chance to speak; we each get a vote. And as per democracy, the majority wins.

Kaydee Zabelin is a Palmerston North city councillor.