And it would suggest that they are satisfied with their current representation – that there are no burrs under their saddles. But that’s not what I see as I move about the city on business and socially. Everyone seems to have advice for us councillors on how we could better handle one project or another.

Of course being election year, the village nutters are out in force but very early in my first term I recognised them and blocked their emails so I don’t get their rubbish. Others have rational views we want to hear.

Many have opinions on specific projects. I am constantly given advice on Westshore erosion control, a project which is on temporary hold as we get professional advice on new information that has come to hand.

Naturally a large number of citizens are concerned about what is happening at Marineland and I can tell you we are well down the track in terms of providing a family friendly attraction on the Marineland site.

It is really interesting that everyone has an opinion on what they perceive as problem areas the council is grappling with but no one ever says well done when projects come to fruition.

Of course one of the most successful things the current Napier City Council has done is to keep the rates increase to under 2%. It was tough work to keep the increase so low and this small increase compares favourably with similar areas in the country.

The cross country drain may not be very sexy but it is a real success story. Over the last couple of months we have had some incredibly heavy rain and our drain has proven invaluable.

And we are really chuffed about securing the government funding for the Hawke’s Bay Museum and Art Gallery Project. I have been on this fundraising committee from its formation and it is gratifying to see it all coming together. Naturally we are still looking for support to ensure the project is one we can be all proud of so if you would like to contribute, give me a call.

One thing you can be assured of – the project will proceed; will be completed on time and within budget.

That is the Napier City Council way.

Delighted because I have been pushing for greater collaboration and co-operation between the two authorities for the last three years, just as Wayne Bradshaw has done at the Hastings District Council. I have to say that my job has been easier than Wayne’s because there is a consensus amongst Napier City Councillors that we should extract every efficiency possible from the administration of the whole district. It appears Wayne has had to do a lot more pushing and prodding in Hastings but real progress is being made.

Now there is real momentum and we are seeing tangible results on the co-operation front. Long may it continue.

It makes me laugh to see Councillors from around the region, Councillors who have been around for a long time, jumping on populist band wagons in this an election year. And they say things like “this matter needs looking into”, “something needs to be done”, “requires some attention”. What they are really saying is that despite them having been an elected member of one Council or another for years they have done nothing to solve some of these problems we face. They know electors want the problems solved so they make wishy washy statements that lead electors to believe they will deal with the issue. They haven’t so far so what’s going to change?

If you can believe the rumours swirling around the town, some of our most successful businessmen are putting substantial resources behind getting their people elected to the local councils, especially the regional council.

That worries me. I admire success – it takes skill and hard work – the very attributes we want in Councillors. If the rumours are true and there is dissatisfaction with the performance of elected members, why don’t these business people have the guts to stand themselves? Why train puppets?

My advice to experienced business people who feel the job could be done better – put your name in the hat.

I for one would welcome the sort of skills many of these people have, being utilised for the good of the region as a whole.

Let’s be honest about it. Despite the fact that the Department of Corrections call these people clients, they are criminals. And they are recidivist criminals. You don’t get PD for a first offence. Why should these criminals be encouraged to congregate in the middle of a good suburb like Flaxmere?

It appears that the Department of Corrections has a policy of bringing their undesirable clients to the centre of a community near you. They have just decided to open one of their “client service centres” – in the centre of Gisborne. The local Government there turned down the application but of course the Department took it to the Environment Court. The Department has unlimited financial resources so, of course they won. Just as they will in Flaxmere.

In Napier we have the same problem. I must declare an interest in the Napier situation because I own property next door to the proposed centre. The Napier “drop in centre” for the dross of our society is planned for Taradale Road, one of the main arterial routes into the Napier CBD. In what way, I ask, does such a centre belong in a light industrial area, with residential property on the other side of the street? It gets worse. The residents on the other side of the street were not even accorded the status of being affected parties. How could they possibly not be affected?

The access and egress to local businesses has largely been ignored. It seems no one cares that congestion, lack of parking and an inability to bring supplies to established business will dramatically damage the very comfortable relationship between light industry on one side of the road and pleasant residences on the other.

Or do those who control such matters on a local level know, that us poor locals don’t have the resources to take on, in the Environment Court, a Government Department more interested in serving their clients, the local criminal fraternity, then they are in protecting the law abiding businesses and residential locals.

Frankly it makes me sick in the guts to find in this wonderful country of ours, that the law breakers and those charged with the responsibility of attending to them, get more consideration than those of us who go about our day in a lawful and peaceful manner.

Sure we don’t always agree. Sure we argue at times. But almost always, we are discussing the issue not the personalities. And that is the difference between this council and previous councils of which I have been most critical. We discuss the issues not the people who have an opinion on these issues. The distinction is most important.

Today we discussed a variety of issues – all of which are important to the future of our city and our region. And one of the things we discussed was the amalgamation of our local authorities. And frankly I am sick and tired of the absolute codswallop that is being spoken on this issue.

In terms of members of the three local councils, opinions are generally divided into three groups:

1. Those for amalgamation.
2. Those against amalgamation
3. And the majority – those who believe if they keep their heads below the parapets they won’t get them shot off.

I have always made my position 100% clear on amalgamation. I believe it is inevitable but it should be an evolutionary thing not a revolutionary thing.

Napier and Hastings (and the regional council) do not need a shotgun marriage which will create resentment and bitterness.

We need to work collaboratively with a view to reaching a point where we say either:

Yes we have extracted all the efficiencies we can from the system so let’s continue with the local representation that has served us well for decades or:
Now we are working so well together we might as well consummate the marriage and merge the local entities.

Whatever the decision, the decision making process will not be well served by those prepared to pluck ridiculous figures out of the air to further their own political ambitions.

It has always been my belief that when a contentious matter arises, the best way to remedy the situation is to have an exchange of intelligent and informed dialogue take place. To that end the Napier City Council has written to businesses in the CBD on a regular basis and kept them informed.
 
Of great interest to me is the fact that not one single retailer has contacted me to discuss the matter of signs. Not one.

I have had anonymous mail arrive at my home – have been, along with the Mayor and my fellow councillors, abused by text messages in the local paper, all pretty juvenile stuff. 

And now someone who signs himself as Ben Hall has posted to my blog telling me, and I quote “you sir are a dork in the highest manner with no understanding for small businesses and common sense.”

Well I’ve got news for Mr Hall. I have been involved in the running of a small business in this city for almost 30 years – I wonder what experience he uses to form his views.

The fact is I am one of just 12 councillors in the fair city of Napier. I work in the CBD, my number is in the phone book, my cell phone number is on my answer machine and yet not one affected person has even bothered to come and see me or ring me to discuss the street signs.

Don’t you think that such an approach was more likely to produce results then vitriolic text messages to the paper.

And speaking of those text messages, I think it is absolutely appalling that the HB Today Newspaper prints that rubbish without requiring the writer to identify themselves. Writers of letters to the editor are required to sign their names – why not writers of text messages.

Oh and one more thing. Whilst it is proposed that the fees for signs will go up over the next couple of years, councils are required to review their fees annually so nothing is set in concrete.

Perhaps intelligent dialogue might encourage councillors to change their mind.  Who knows?

The Napier City Council is made of up councillors and staff, all of whom want to do what is right for Napier. The Napier City Council does not steal things.
 
The Council’s footpath policy is a difficult one and whatever the final outcome, not everyone will be pleased.

But let’s face facts. The footpaths are Council property and are there to enable pedestrians to move freely about the city. Without controls, the footpaths become blocked with sandwich boards, tables and chairs, racks of goods for sale, and can no longer serve their purpose. The problem becomes critical for those in mobility scooters, wheelchairs or twin pushchairs. Somehow we need to keep these pedestrian thoroughfares clear so they can be used.

So really there are two distinct problems which of course overlap. One is to provide a fair and equitable regime for the use of our footpaths and the other is to cut down on the clutter on the footpaths to provide a visually appealing city.

One of the very vocal protesters about our signs policy is a café in Dalton Street. I understand it is a very good café and the proprietors have clearly chosen premises off the main street – presumably because the rent is cheaper.
 
Then of course they put signs in Emerson Street and Dickens Street directing people to their premises. The Napier City Council went to a lot of trouble to prepare the crossing over Dalton Street in Dickens Street with neat black posts and galvanised chains. The café then tied an advertising blackboard to our chains. I had 3 complaints in one morning.
 
So it is difficult to please everybody and impossible to please everybody all the time.

But to refuse to pay a fee, notified well in advance, and then to accuse the Council of theft is anarchistic and emotional and does nothing to resolve the problem, nor does offensive anonymous mail to my home. I thought as a society we were more mature than that. We are a small community and should be able to discuss these matters in an intelligent manner.

Hopefully some wise heads will get around the table soon and resolve this matter before Napier starts to look like the clown prince of municipalities.

Since I have been on the Napier City Council, I have been quietly lobbying for an effective public transport link between Ahuriri and Napier.

In 1913, the then City Fathers recognised that Napier had in fact, two hearts.  The bustling Ahuriri with its coastal trade, merchants and fishermen and the CBD with its government and professional offices and also shops.  They put in an electric tramway linking the two hearts and it was an instant success. 

However by 1926, with the growth of motorised road vehicles such as the omnibus, the tramway was trading at a considerable loss.  I have no doubt that if the 1931 earthquake hadn’t put the trams out of their misery, they would have simply folded.

For many years Ahuriri was in the doldrums.  When I started work there in the 1960s, Ahuriri was considered an industrial backwater.  A public transport link was simply unnecessary.  But clearly that has now all changed.  Ahuriri is now becoming our main entertainment area and has a large number of visitor beds.  Visitors who stay in Ahuriri want to visit the Art Deco CBD and visitors who stay in the CBD want to visit the entertainment area of Ahuriri.

So we need to do something about it and I think that is generally accepted by all members of the Napier City Council.  The question is – “What form of public transport is the most appropriate and cost effective to link Ahuriri and the other side of the hill.

Some are talking trams and trains but in my view, the answer is petrol/diesel or electric wheeled vehicles running on the existing road.

They could be built in the Art Deco Style or a style sympathetic with Art Deco.  I envisage buses built to look old but with modern mechanicals, with open sides and curtains that could roll down in inclement weather.  They would have GPS reception and speakers and a commentary would be played as the bus passed points of interest.  The omnibus would leave the Napier I site, travel South on Marine Parade to the Aquarium, then North past the Sound Shell – Port- Perfume Point – the Iron Pot and then to the old Customs House.

Linking our two hearts is essential for Napier and its time we got it under way.

In Hastings, Lawrence Yule has decided that 2010 is the year to very publicly call for a ban on dangerous dogs and dear old Henare O’Keefe has taken the opportunity to tell us in the press, how much he loves his wife.

In Napier, Mayor Barbara has had her picture taken with a bike stand and a statue or two and a couple of her councillors have had their picture taken with the new roadside welcome signs.

The Napier City Council Corporate Business committee made the first stupid decision I have seen made since I’ve been a councillor when it voted against the Remuneration Authority’s recommendation to increase Councillor’s wages. I’ve argued for and against things and lost, but this was plain silly. To go against the very strong recommendation of the Authority suggests election year political posturing and a lack of understanding of the Authority’s role. The Remuneration Authority said they were concerned that remuneration would become a matter of political contention at election time. And guess what – it has.

And the nutters are re-surfacing too. One emailed me with the number of times I had posted to my blog and the number of responses my postings had evoked. What this poor demented soul doesn’t realise, is that it is the number of hits that is important to me – not responses. He should realise by now that none of his vitriolic rubbish gets through the system and on to my blog. To have a blog such as mine costs money, requires something intelligent to say and needs a reasonable understanding of the English language with which to convey the message.

All of these attributes would be foreign to my correspondent.

There is no way I’m going to spend my money and energy to provide a forum for the fruit loops of our society.

So the media will not be short of material and invitations to events in 2010. It is sad but true, that often it is those who know how to play the “game” of politics that poll better, than very capable people who don’t.

All I hope is that people get involved in this election. It has always disappointed me that there is such a lack of interest in local body politics.

It is your town folks and your money we are spending so get involved. You might just find it interesting and enjoyable.

The fact is controlling all so called vices, will always be “walking a fine line” for decision makers.

Making decisions, rules and laws to protect those who are vulnerable in our society in terms of alcohol and gambling, is always going to be challenging. Those who propose a total ban would deprive those who like to, say – have a day out at the races – a few bets – a couple of drinks – a good sociable day out. Of course at the races or anywhere else there is alcohol, there are always those that get sloshed and make a nuisance of themselves but is that enough reason to ban drinking?

Gambling is an even bigger issue for society. At least when someone abuses alcohol it becomes obvious to all but when someone becomes an addicted gambler, it is often not obvious to anyone until great damage is done.

Poker machines are the talking point right now. Again there are those who would say we don’t need them – get rid of them. Those people should speak to members of any sporting or cultural club and ask them where they get a large part of their funding. They should try and imagine what life in their community would be like if there were no sports clubs or pottery clubs or theatre groups.

There is great debate about what number of machines is appropriate for a certain community. In Napier there are those who are alarmed that we have significantly more machines per head of population then do other centres. These people support the Councils “sinking lid” policy and want to see the number of machines dropped to the national average.

Why should we aspire to being average?

We should be sitting down and deciding what number of poker machines is acceptable for Napier and what sites are appropriate for them to be installed in. And if that’s more or less then the national average – so be it.

If we are going to ban or restrict poker machines then we should apply the same rules to Lotto. Why not – it’s just another form of gambling. I would love to know how much funding Lotto has put into the Hawke’s Bay community.

And we are applying to the very gaming trusts whose activities we are trying to restrict, for funding for our own pet projects. Isn’t that hypocritical?

So we need to make sensible and practical decisions around gambling – and poker machines in particular – not silly superficially warm and fuzzy emotional decisions.

Well done Bay FM.

And a happy New Year to you all. 2010 promises to be a year of slow but steady recovery from the economic ills that have plagued the world for the last couple of years.

When you look around the world, New Zealand has weathered the economic storm better then most. There are still some enormous hurdles to jump but unemployment seems to have peaked, investment markets are certainly improving and business confidence is climbing.

There are still some very clear problems in the economy. The hangover (in more ways than one) of commercial property from the finance company sector meltdown is affecting yields and prices in that market. Partly completed developments are a real problem because banks are reluctant to lend new owners the funds to complete these projects and some may never be completed.

Whilst every area is different, the Auckland domestic property sector is interesting. Top end properties in the $2m plus bracket are simply not moving.

Mid-priced properties are selling because people in that bracket generally have substantial equity. However, lower priced properties are struggling because the banks are now demanding greater deposits and people can simply not save 20% of the value of a property.

I am guessing that Hawke’s Bay is not too different.

Another feature of 2010 is that it is local body election year and if the past is any indication of the future, most people will not be the slightest bit interested. Aspiring local body politicians will pollute the environment with their ugly signs, they’ll troop from poorly attended campaign meeting to poorly attended campaign meeting and eventually, some will be elected by the very few, who bother to vote.

For some reason, local body politics simply does not create the interest in the community that central politics does and yet, if there is one political level that citizens can have a direct influence over, it is local body politics.

Despite that, most of the people who tend to get involved in the process, apart from the aspiring politicians themselves, are single issue nutters who are not prepared to see the bigger picture.

Sad really but that is the way it is.