Submission time limit 'an insult'

Two pieces of legislation and a four-minute window of opportunity to present submissions, divided by 70,000 residents, equals one angry councillor.

Manukau City councillor Colleen Brown says the parliamentary committee which will hear submissions on Manukau-specific anti-prostitution and anti-graffiti bills has not allocated enough time for speakers.

Mrs Brown, who will present a Manurewa Community Board submission at this week's hearing, has been lumped with four other submitters for a total of 20 minutes.

That is four minutes of talk time for a councillor representing 70,000, she said. "I think this is insulting to the people of not only my ward but to the people of Manukau."

The select committee will sit in Manukau on Thursday to hear submissions on the legislation - to control street prostitution and graffiti - which, if passed, will be unique to the city.

The Manukau City Council (Control of Street Prostitution) Bill will make it an offence to solicit for prostitution in a public place, and the Control of Graffiti Bill will regulate the sale of spray paint in Manukau.

Local government and environment select committee clerk Beth Watson said the grouping of submissions was an attempt "to focus them to present key themes".