I looked back at the weekend, to July three years ago, when I kick-started my Opinion run-up commentaries on the forthcoming local body elections.
Mayoral candidates l-r Jim Mylchreest, Susan O’Regan and Chris Woodhams with Peter Carr. Absent Bernard Westerbaan. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
At that time (mid-July) there were two aspirants for the mayoral roles – which later became four, although the third and fourth were never a real starter. One certainly disappeared fast once the voting was over. The successful candidate essentially trumped a very long-standing and loyal mayor (and local body officer) and more on her later.
Local Choice
Now, early in the campaign, it appears that we have three people keen to take up the mayoral chains and one must ponder what it is that drives people to put their family and professional lives on hold to serve a population that, in the main, cannot be bothered to vote.
This time around there is a more professional feel to the race. Two long-standing councillors, clearly dissatisfied with the way that the Waipā council is performing, seek to steady the ship onto a more meaningful course. It is no coincidence that they will be, in part, driven by a staggering upcoming rise in residential rates – and also feeling guilty regarding what appears to be some secretive meetings behind closed doors.
Another regular opinion writer (an economist) last week bemoaned not only the rates increase but the fact that the number of council employees has risen over the past three years by a staggering amount. Was this management at fault with the previous chief executive – and, moreover, to what extent is the governance (elected) body doing to keep possibly unwarranted employment excesses in check? I am not commenting on the why/reality as I am not close enough to express a worthwhile opinion, but election time is always a good opportunity to flush out the facts.
Election Day 2023
I hear that there is dissatisfaction around the top table regarding leadership capability and perhaps high-handed treatment of some of the elected representatives. The withdrawal from Waipa council of a long-standing mayoral deputy speaks volumes in itself. The timing is not just a coincidence. But the current incumbent at the top has every right to explain how she perceives the way forward under the guidance of a relatively new chief executive.
There are some heavy-hitting items on the table this time around. The waste disposal (by conflagration) proposal for siting in Te Awamutu, the ever-moving ‘blue blob’ that denotes possible forced purchase of third bridge-related access and egress roads, the desire of quarry operators to wreck the roads in the Cambridge CBD – and the huge expansion of residential housing on prime agricultural land that is responding to the rapidly growing demand for residences in Cambridge.
We will soon be besieged with pamphlets, hoardings, public meetings, claims to be the saviour of our collective futures – many from people who are clearly ill-fitted for the roles. That said there are also good people out there who deserve to be listened to in a fair-minded and even-handed manner.
If we all took some time to study the form, attend public gatherings to directly take on board aspirants’ ideas, we then have the opportunity to form a balanced and worthwhile viewpoint. Just sitting on the sidelines and leaving the decision-making to a minority is just not good enough. For goodness sake people – listen up and then vote.
Cambridge postie Raewyn Smythe making sure the voting packs end up in Waipā letter boxes. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
