This column coincides with the end of my first year on council, and I thought it would be good to take the opportunity to reflect on the journey to date.
It has been an interesting trip into a space much greater than I imagined, a virtual mini-government covering many aspects of our lives in a regional setting.
The first thing that struck me is the inherent conflict in the role of the council. On one hand it is here to facilitate regional economic development, but it is also charged with balancing that against the environmental impact of any development. This is all governed by our policies regarding the Resource Management Act, which is a far from perfect beast. I often feel that development and 'business as usual' are not in our, or our environment's, long-term interest.
"If you would like to influence your regional council's policy settings, you have until 4pm on Wednesday November 15 ..."
The second thing is that I am a small cog in this big machine, and my ability to influence is through supporting good policy. Decisions around resource consents are made by our staff or commissioners based, on the RMA rules and regional council policy, not by me or any other councillors. It is often a shared frustration when we see a perceived injustice that I cannot fix with a wave of my magic wand.