Whanganui letters: I was part of the conversation during time on council

Hadleigh Reid has decided not to seek re-election to the Whanganui District Council. Photo / Bevan Conley

Six years ago, I decided to run in the local government elections for Whanganui. I have been living in Whanganui since 2002 and I had been getting a bit frustrated at the lack of development and progress and discouraged by our decreasing population. Whanganui now faces different challenges and while I have enjoyed being involved in steering the city over the past six years, I will not be seeking re-election this time around. I need to focus my time and attention on my other responsibilities.

I have generally been very impressed with the Whanganui District Council as an organisation. As a council, you may not have been entirely happy with all the decisions we have made, but I do believe that we have all made these decisions with the city and district's best interests in mind. Be assured, the council does hear you and values any input we receive.

The council is a large organisation and it is hard for any one person to make a significant difference. I have thought of being on council as being "part of the conversation". Each councillor and the mayor are one of 13 votes and voices that contribute to the governance of Whanganui and we do this as a team. The one thing that I am particularly proud of is having up to $10 million incorporated into the council's long-term plan towards solar installations on council buildings and infrastructure which will reduce our operating costs, increase our resilience should disaster strike and help reduce our carbon emissions.

So, a sincere thank you to all who have encouraged, supported and challenged me over the past six years and, while I will be stepping away from my role at council, I will continue to do the best I can for this wonderful city.

Ngā mihi me te aroha nui.

HADLEIGH REID
Whanganui

World's difficulties alarming

Is there a consensus that on many fronts the world circumstance is deteriorating at an increasing and alarming rate?

I don't have answers to the difficulties - conflicts widespread, global warming and unprecedented floods, famine, drought, extreme heat, wildfires, displaced people, cyclones and typhoons. Plus uncertainty in governance, the rise of extremist right-wing leaders, social and political unrest, increasing tensions between major global players, and smaller nations quick to align with one bloc or the other, seemingly shaping up for a major showdown. There's much more, including environmental deterioration, exploitation and pollution, and Covid-19.

There appear to be no perspectives from which humans could claim these issues are improving or current strategies are making a tangible improvement. I'm sure many, particularly the young, are very concerned.

I don't know what would make a tangible difference, short of a global reconsideration of our political, governance and economic systems, then perhaps restructuring systems based on values opposite the monetary aspirations and political popularity that currently hold such sway in governance and election of governments.

A movement is needed so global crises are registering in our collective psyches and our heads are not planted in the sand; a world where these issues are collectively acknowledged, a world in big trouble with little light ahead. We all need to ask questions, perhaps in a kind of theosophical inquiry, beginning with what is important in life and what would a world that upholds those values look like.

If the world remains head in the sand, these issues are not going to be acknowledged in any kind of global prognosis, the questions won't be asked so it's grim, because solutions can't and won't be found.

I believe that reality at least needs to be acknowledged and relevant questions asked. The alternative is the status quo - a terminally deteriorating world.

PAUL BABER
Aramoho

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