Bill Dalton

Well – on Saturday week we will all know who is going to govern us – in a local body sense – for the next three years. It has been a stressful campaign and win or lose, all candidates will be pleased when it is all over.

In Napier there have been a number of issues that have come to the fore at every meeting. The biggie for many people is the future of the Marineland site. Some believe that erosion at Westshore is the number one issue and some seem hell bent on putting in a swimming pool that will add 15 to 20% to your rates.

Virtually all candidates have said we need economic growth in Hawke’s Bay. Virtually all those candidates never proffered one suggestion as to how that growth could be achieved. One of the reasons candidates have been reluctant to disclose their ideas for the future of our City and province is that if they announce their ideas at a meeting on Tuesday, another candidate, drawn to speak before them on Thursday will suddenly discover the same idea. It happened to me on several occasions during this campaign. For that reason I’m keeping my powder dry on economic growth. If re-elected, I will be delighted to float a strong suggestion as to how we can get Hawke’s Bay moving again. If I am not re-elected I will be suggesting the same quite radical scheme because I believe it is good for the Bay. I just don’t want it to become an election issue and therefore discussed on an emotional level rather than on a good sound business basis.

One thing I have found quite amazing is that this year, people have been slow to vote.

Only about half of those we expect to vote have voted so far. I thought it would be much more than that. And the question is why are people slow to vote this year? Is it because they simply haven’t got around to it? Is it because they can’t be bothered voting at all? Is it because they are taking the whole matter so seriously, that they are leaving their decision until they have got every piece of information available?

Whatever the reason for the delay in voting, I just hope that people do record their vote before October the 9th. In my view, you not only have the right to vote, you have a responsibility to do so.

Yesterday we had our last meet the candidates meeting. I think most candidates feel they have done all they can now and are happy to taper off their campaigns.

But one candidate, Robin Gwynn was a shocker. He led off with some rant against water meters. That clearly came from his tired old memory banks because in my 3 years on council, I have never heard water meters mentioned. Because he was talking to Grey Power, people generally on fixed incomes, he was prepared to lower himself to using scare tactics. By inference he suggested that water meters were a possibility and that he would oppose them. Well I can tell you, so would every current councillor.

He then went on to discuss his solution to the bus terminal problem we have in Napier. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he has been badly informed. Frankly the rubbish he spouted would suggest he again was inclined to be economical with the truth. The information he gave to the meeting was simply not correct.

The format for these meetings is appalling. The problem I have right now is that I can’t think of a better option. Any format that allows a candidate to simply tell untruths and not be challenged is unsatisfactory. However when you get 20 candidates at a meeting, how do you allow challenges?

Imagine the schemozzle if 60 people in the audience wanted to take 20 people to task for what they had said. The meetings would last all night or day – or perhaps both.

One thing is for sure. My trigger finger was itching to have a go at Robin Gwynn yesterday and there was no opportunity for me to challenge him.

And I would have taken one or two others to task as well and I dare say there would have been those who would have challenged me. I can assure you I would have welcomed the challenge.

So if you can think of a better format for local body election meetings, let me know. Who knows, in three years the pain might have worn off and I might go again.

The election campaign this year is basically all over bar the shouting. Those who are going to bother to vote (about 40% of those who could) will likely have done so, if only to get the papers off the end of the kitchen bench.

I would like to congratulate all candidates for throwing their hats into the ring. It takes guts to go through the whole campaign thing, knowing that at the end of the process you might just have a real feeling of rejection. And it is expensive too.

Of course, as usual, some candidates have intentionally tried to mislead the voters but I have a much higher opinion of the average voter than they seem to have. The voters won’t be fooled. Some candidates are advocating building a 50 metre swimming pool in Napier when they know, or if they don’t they should do, that such a project is prohibitively expensive. It sounds a highly desirable project on the hustings but I am sure the huge impact on rates would be most unpalatable.

There are those who would have us go for the Rolls Royce option on the Marineland site despite the fact that it made no economic sense to do so. The Napier City Council has spent an enormous amount of time and money on looking at viable possibilities for the Marineland site and we are close to making a decision.

Of greater concern to me, is when a candidate who should know better, goes public with a view which is clearly unsupported by facts. Robin Gwynn’s letter to the HB Today on Saturday which refers to the Napier City Councils failure to use the example of the Palmerston North transport depot to progress a similar depot here, is simply electioneering garbage. And Robin knows it.

The fact is we have had countless conversations and meetings with the management of the Inter City Bus operators. The Mayor even visited their offices in Auckland. They are simply not interested in contributing to a dedicated passenger depot in Napier. And we have also discussed the Palmerston North depot as we looked at our options.

Despite all the difficulties, the Napier City Council has worked hard to reach a compromise with the bus company. The busses now stop in Dalton Street where there is cover, a phone on the corner and toilets nearby.

Robin’s letter in the paper on Saturday was typically lightweight electioneering. Even he, I am sure, will be pleased that it’s nearly all over.

Last night I attended my third “meet the candidates meeting” during this election campaign. Now many of you will know that these are usually pretty dry affairs with candidate after candidate saying the same old thing. And that’s why it surprises me that there are a few hardy souls who have attended all three meetings.

I would dearly like to see a return to well run, good old fashioned tub thumping political meetings where the crowd could interact vigorously with the candidates, where candidates were put on the spot and made to justify their claims.

Maybe then we would get better attendance at these meetings and more interest in local body politics.

The recurring theme in this campaign seems to be “let’s get some fresh young faces on the various councils.” Well I don’t claim to be young at 59 and nobody would suggest I’m fresh-faced. But I do believe we need councils made up of people with enthusiasm and experience. After just one term as a councillor I remain enthusiastic about the job and that one term has given me invaluable experience to bring to the next council table.

I would also make the point that some of the most experienced councillors were the biggest help to me as I was learning the ropes.

It is of considerable concern to me that aspiring councillors are suggesting to voters that they can bring all sorts of initiatives and projects to the city without any idea of how they may be funded. That would suggest that they are either being intentionally misleading or they simply have not done their homework. Whatever the answer, the fact remains that the voters are being given a bum steer.

The pro-ward faction in Napier has attempted to stack meetings to reinforce their arguments. Their case is severely weakened by the fact that half of the ward candidates are being elected unopposed and 15 people are seeking election on an “at large” basis. That makes a nonsense of the system. Not only that but the chief proponent of wards in Napier, Robin Gwynn is not prepared to stand in one – he insists on standing “at large” again.

But the nonsense will soon be over. The voting papers go out this week and those who are going to vote are likely to vote soon after. Then, whatever the outcome, we can all get on with our normal lives.

In my last blog posting, before I went overseas, I said that the silly season was upon us. And it is.

We have now had several meet the candidates meetings and the same old nonsense has been spouted by all.

One by one current councillors get to their feet and lay claim to have been the driving force behind the good and successful things we have done. One by one the aspiring councillors get to their feet and tell us about the things they feel the council should be doing (most are already being done and others have been looked at and found to be prohibitively expensive) despite the fact that they haven’t any idea how these things could be funded. One, in a display of particularly poor taste, is trying to buy his way onto council.

And everyone says they are passionate about Napier and want to keep the rates down.

The truth is that the role of a councillor is vastly different than the picture painted by those on the hustings. Sure councillors should be leaders of opinion but the primary role of a councillor is to gather information from all sources including the ratepayers, and to use that information to debate matters effectively around the council table.

In the past, Napier has often had councils containing real prima-donnas and the press has had a field day reporting the running battles. Frankly these self-promoting misfits have no place in a council chamber and I am very pleased to say that the current Napier council does not have any members who put their own image above that of the council.

Sure we disagree on matters. Sure things can get a little heated at times. Sure you win some arguments and lose others. But the important thing, and the thing that differentiates this council from some previous councils, is that we debate the issues without making it personal.

One thing that bugs me is that because we all behave in a business-like way, because we don’t indulge in personal attacks and therefore make the headlines, there is a perception that we do nothing and that perception is very wrong.

The Napier City Council is in better financial shape then it has been for over 50 years. And that doesn’t happen by accident. That position has been arrived at because good decisions have been made at council level and a lot of very hard work has been done by our senior officers and staff.

So Napier ratepayers have a very good team working for them and the city reflects that fact.

Statistics tell us that only about 90% of eligible voters bother to ensure that their names are on the electoral roll and less than half of them will vote at this years local body elections. And that’s a shame.

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.

I am delighted that at today’s Napier City Council meeting we will be receiving a report from our Chief Executive, Neil Taylor, on progress he and his officers have made in working collaboratively with Ross McLeod and his officers in Hastings.

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.

There are times in your life when you have got to get up on your hind legs and stand your ground. And I absolutely support those Flaxmere residents who are saying “We don’t want a Department of Corrections facility in the middle of our community.”

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.

I have just returned from a marathon informal council meeting. I know the Napier City Council is known for having reasonably short meetings and there is a good reason for that – we are efficient. Over the years I have spent a significant part of my time serving my community on a variety of committees, boards, trusts and councils. And I have to say that the current Napier City Council is one of the most efficient groups I have served.

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.

Last week I commented on this radio station and posted to my blog that developing a footpath policy is a difficult process. It is not only Napier that is grappling with this contentious issue – in fact most cities in the country are trying to work out a compromise that suits as many people as possible.

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?