Gerry Brownlee asks: Who is going to best ensure centralisation of community services is not caught up in any grand plans to force further amalgamation on greater Christchurch? Photo / ChristchurchNZ
Gerry Brownlee asks: Who is going to best ensure centralisation of community services is not caught up in any grand plans to force further amalgamation on greater Christchurch? Photo / ChristchurchNZ
OPINION
Local Government was developed in New Zealand in part to hasten the extraordinary post 1840 development of the country. But as the old provincial Government system was demolished, specific responsibilities were devolved to the cities, towns, districts, counties, and boroughs across New Zealand. The rationale was that local communities know best what's needed for them and what works best for them.
At a time when schools were established on a block system associated with dairy collection runs in rural districts, Christchurch had no less than 13 local authorities within the current boundaries of the city.
When communications and transport were much slower - few will remember a time with no phone lines, let alone party lines, and having to go on a waiting list for a landline. It made sense to have very local, local Government.
As each of the local authority's areas expanded into each other, natural merges began to occur well before the massive shake-up of local government in 1989.
Gerry Brownlee says Christchurch ratepayers will pay much more for water and water services if the proposals progress. Photo / Supplied
Post-1989, Banks Peninsular District amalgamated with Christchurch City. Now known as the Greater Christchurch, Waimakariri, Selwyn and Christchurch City work co-operatively. They are definitely different and their separation is justified as each has very different communities.
But the Labour Government has decided that management of fresh water, wastewater and sewerage is beyond the wit of local authorities to manage and so they have introduced the Three Waters Bill which will see one single entity responsible for the three waters across the South Island.
I sat in on the select committee hearings considering The Three Waters Bill which is currently before Parliament.
To describe the Labour member's attitude to people making submissions opposed to the Government's Three Waters as considerate would be to deny the deep philosophical commitment the Ardern Government has to central Government control.
Christchurch ratepayers will pay much more for water and water services if the proposals progress.
Our city has a very high-quality underground network that should see the maintenance costs minimised for decades ahead. If Three Waters proceeds, our costs will be amortised into the costs of the whole South Island. Some have speculated that the water component in our rates bills will more than double.
As we consider all Local Government candidates I think a key question has to be, who is going to best ensure further centralisation of community services is not caught up in any grand plans to force further amalgamation on greater Christchurch?
Perhaps it would be a marker of regional individualism for the Selwyn and Waimakariri councils to voluntarily contribute to the new covered stadium, showing central government further amalgamation would be unnecessary in such a cooperative environment.
Transport is another subject of big government proposals. Cycleways are very much in proliferation across Christchurch with a new transport plan for the city presenting proposals that some say would severely restrict motor vehicle access and use in the central city.
A transport plan brought down in the city recovery plan in 2016 saw much of the inner-city speed limit reduced to 30km. While this was controversial at the time, its operation now has not caused any major problems. Traffic flows smoothly most of the time.
Outside of the plan, Christchurch City Council has significantly reduced on-street parking. The public reaction to the new plan they are now proposing has not been overwhelmingly embraced. So, it will be interesting to see how responsive the Council is, particularly in the light of local elections.
A question also has to be asked, about how much of the inner city's current fairly lively environment might be affected by a proposal like this. Out in the suburbs, the city has a proposed cycleway development of the current four-lane section of Harewood Road, down to just two lanes with cycleways. This proposal has been overwhelmingly rejected by residents and other affected parties. It's now subject to compromise and redesign.
these two things are examples of how direct local democracy can be effective in shaping communities. I cannot imagine, that if these issues were subject to decision-making by a South Island wide body, local voice would count for much or at all.
