I have spent the last two nights reading submissions to the Napier City Council’s LTCCP – the long term council community plan.
Such is the exciting life of a city councillor.
And it is interesting to see who has written these submissions. Some, who have usually never sat around a council table, believe they have the ability to provide solutions for all the challenges the council will face over the next 10 years. Others are more modest in their goals in that they are presenting a submission on behalf of an organization they are part of. Many of these submissions are worthy because the submitter usually has detailed knowledge of the subject that councilors can’t be expected to have.
Inevitably, some are from complete nutters.
There is clearly real confusion in the minds of some submitters in terms of local government areas of responsibility and the responsibility of central government. One submission calls for, amongst a myriad of other things, manufactures and retailers to reduce the use of packaging and labeling. Hardly city council stuff. The same submitter calls for us to promote the buying of fresh local produce and the use of string bags to reduce household waste. We are told that merchandise should be designed to last, rather than to be thrown away after 2-5 years.
Simply not our role and this would certainly not sit well with the next submitter, who seems to suggest that councils shouldn’t be involved in entrepreneurial activities at all.
One submitter is prepared to put her life on the line to prevent an activity proceeding, that was presented as an April Fools prank by a local newspaper.
Many of those making submissions, clearly have no idea of the pressures councils face trying to balance public expectation against income. One quarter of the rate-take goes in roading and yet our road tax on petrol goes to Wellington. Central government is constantly bringing in laws, rules and regulations that have to be administered by local bodies and that costs the ratepayers. It is taxation by stealth. And of course there are the areas where central government simply steals from ratepayers, like the nonsensical $10 a tonne waste minimalisation levy they have just imposed.
Anyway I am sure we will all be much wiser councillors having listened, to and debated, submissions for the next two days.
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