Bill Dalton

I never cease to be amazed by people who somehow think that they must get a whole lot better deal when they deal out of town.

We see it in the share broking industry. We often discover that locals are dealing with brokers in Auckland or Wellington because somehow they think they are getting a better deal. And what’s worse of course is that often those same people rely on the support of locals for the success of their own business.

The truth is that a broker in Auckland or Wellington sits looking at exactly the same data screen all day that a broker in Hawke’s Bay does. There is absolutely no reason why a provincial broker can’t give exactly the same service as a metropolitan broker can.

Look what the Art Deco Trust has done regarding entertainment for their Deco Decanted weekend. They have got entertainers coming from Australia, Auckland and Wellington. Why? Why aren’t they using the huge pool of excellent talent that we have right here in the Bay? Why do we have a made up “Big Band” coming to town, when the Hawke’s Bay Jazz Club “Big Band” is available?

I often discuss the matter with people I meet who insist on doing their business out of the district and almost without exception they tell me that somehow or other they think they are getting a deal in Auckland or Wellington that they can’t get in Hawke’s Bay. That of course is rubbish.

I wonder what these people’s expectation of the future of the Bay is.

Don’t they have a vision as I do, that the Hawke’s Bay economy will prosper – that businesses will grow – that growing businesses will provide jobs for their kids – that having their kids working locally means their grandkids will also be here in the Bay.

Two of my three children currently work out of Hawke’s Bay. In time, if appropriate jobs are available, both of them would like to settle back here. I could think of nothing better.

And if supporting local businesses means I am increasing the chances of having my family around me, then I am all for it.

Buying goods or services outside the district when these goods and services can be bought locally makes no sense to me – nor does bringing musicians in for an event like Deco Decanted when here in Hawke’s Bay we have a pool of talent as deep as anywhere in the county.

There is no doubt politics is a tough playground to play in. Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister was one of the strongest and most decisive leaders during the economic meltdown that struck the world in 2008 and 2009. He acted whilst others dithered. But it appears the British public have given him no credit for that international leadership.

And now Britain has got a ridiculous government that is bound to fail. No coalition government has run full term in Britain other than in war time, and this one will be no different. How can a party on the right of the political spectrum, work successfully with a party that is radically left of the Labour Party. It beggars belief.

It is almost as stupid as the situation we have here in New Zealand. How any one party can produce Don Brash and his Orewa speech and John Key and his pandering to all things Maori, I don’t know. How does a government made up of a steady as you go – don’t upset the voters party, a redneck right wing party and a what’s in it for us racist party, govern New Zealand? And the answer to that is not very well. Clearly the New Zealand economy is being as well managed as possible in these extremely difficult times but the degradation in the social fabric of our country is alarming.

We will never compete with Australia economically but we can be a nicer place to live. Right now we are not.

A client said to me yesterday that all the bright kids are heading overseas and New Zealand is becoming a nation of dumbos and slick-willy financial conmen. A bit radical I thought but I know where he is coming from.

We seem to have our priorities all wrong. We have armies of policemen doing booze checkpoints at 4.30 in the afternoon in Waipukurau and yet violent crime is out of control on our streets. We are told by the police hierarchy that they are having a war on speeding and if necessary they will sit policemen up trees to catch speeding motorists.

How bloody silly is that? Don’t waste the time of police personnel by sitting them up trees to catch some poor sod doing a few clicks over the limit – put them on the streets in our cities and let’s get rid of the scumbags that are increasingly giving New Zealand a poor reputation.

Our Government needs to know that there is more to running a country than fiddling with the figures and pandering to their junior coalition partners.

Recently I made my strongly held views about the Corrections Department’s decision to bring PD and parole centres to a busy street near you, very clear.

In that piece I referred to criminals frequenting these facilities and I have been taken to task for that. I’m told it is disrespectful to call them criminals, they are people who somehow society has let down. I’m told that it is not the criminal’s fault they decided to break the law, it is the honest citizen’s fault for somehow failing them.

What a lot of rot. If a white collar worker commits fraud and is convicted for it he is a criminal. If a storeman steals from his employer and is convicted for it he is a criminal. And if an unemployed person is convicted of a crime then he is a criminal. Calling them clients is just crap.

Sure society could do more for the underprivileged in our society to guide them into positive activities rather than anti-social ones. And sure it is better to attend to the ills of society than simply parking an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. But if individuals make a personal decision to indulge in criminal behaviour, it doesn’t matter what socio-economic group they come from or whether they are black, white or brindle, they are criminals.

I am certainly not saying – and never have said that the criminal justice system is the answer to all of society’s social problems but it is a necessary evil and the facilities need to be put in appropriate places.

So what is an appropriate place? Well it is certainly not on a busy arterial route into the CBD with houses down one side of the street. It is not next door to a school shop frequented by youngsters and it is not just along the road from a large liquor store and a dance and fitness studio where youngsters are arriving and leaving in their performance attire.

Surely it is at the back of an industrial area somewhere, where these fellows loitering around do not create an eyesore or a threat to the security of local businesses.

Again I stress, these people are not clients as the Department of Corrections likes to call them, anymore than prisoners are guests. For whatever reason, whether it is a failure of society or not these people are criminals and they should not be encouraged into inappropriate areas.

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.

An old mate of mine died recently and we have been helping his widow sort a few things out.

Bernie was a hoarder. Bernie never threw anything out.

Amongst some of the boxes of stored information I found a guide to Napier’s Scenic drive. I am guessing at the year it was produced but it looks like about 1962. The publication tells us that Napier had a population of 27,200.

We are told that Napier is one of New Zealand’s famous holiday resorts. That it is renowned for its sunshine, its magnificent Marine Parade, its stately pines and palms, flowering gardens, parklands and spectacular illuminations.

And you know, in those days, about 50 years ago, that’s what people wanted in a holiday destination. A nice environment in which to have fun. A nice safe environment in which the kids could make their own fun.

These days we expect that entertainment will be provided for us. We have lost the art of enjoying good company and surroundings and simply entertaining ourselves.

When I was a kid we used to go to places like Eskdale Park on a Sunday afternoon and have fun. Several families would meet there and we would have impromptu games of cricket or rugby or soccer, or bulrush. Mum would take a picnic afternoon tea and plenty of cold cordial for the kids. If it was hot we would swim in the Esk River.

Sometimes we would go to Westshore Beach and build sandcastles and swim.  And if we were lucky, we might get fish and chips on the way home. Do you remember? – 5 bobs worth of fish and chips would be 10 bits of fish and plenty of chips. Enough to feed a family of 6 easily.

Now expectations of holiday destinations are much greater. Vacationers want holiday programmes for their kids, they want theme parks, they want organised entertainment and they want sophisticated restaurants to dine in.

Napier rightly still regards itself as a holiday destination. We have plenty to offer adult vacationers in terms of wineries, bars and restaurants, shopping and the “café” culture. What we need to do is to find things for the kids to do.  Westshore beach is gone, the Olympic pool is gone and Marineland is gone. So we have a real challenge on our hands to make Napier an attractive destination for kids.

We need to develop an entertaining use of the Marineland site – if you have got any bright ideas on that please let me know.

In the meantime, wouldn’t it be great if we could encourage youngsters to make their own fun just as we did all those years ago.

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?

I was out of town at a funeral late last week but the word got to me “There is a revolt amongst Napier retailers because their signs and sandwich boards are being stolen by the Napier City Council.” What a load of garbage!

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.

My wife Shirley and I have just had a wonderful week in New South Wales. Frankly we have been to Sydney so often over the years that looking at the Opera House doesn’t do it for us anymore so this trip was all about catching up with friends.

We had great mates arriving in Sydney from Maine USA to begin a tour of Australia so we arranged to spend time with them whilst they were in Sydney. It was just great to catch up with them as we hadn’t seen them since 2008 when we visited them in the States

We then travelled by train up to the Hawkesbury River to meet some Australian friends. We had originally met this couple in Queenstown during a South Island holiday. Since then they have been to stay with us and we have visited them several times in Australia. Again, it was a real thrill to catch up with them and there was certainly no shortage of conversation over a very long lunch.

After a relaxing day spent with Shirley’s brother and his wife and friends on the Hawkesbury we set off by rental car to Walcha on the New England Tablelands.

Back in 1973 I worked as a loader driver for an aerial spraying company. I became good friends with the pilot and his family but as so often happens, our lives moved in different directions and we hadn’t had any contact for 36 years.

Late in 2009 I decided I wanted to find them again and through the marvel of the internet, I was able to track them down. Sadly, I was able to do so because Carolyn, the pilot’s wife, had written a book to help people cope with the loss of a loved one – their son Ben who was born whilst we were working together had been killed in a topdressing plane at age 21. Ben was a great baby and my own eldest son is named after him.

So 37 years after we last saw each other we met up again and it was just great.

David is still mad keen on flying so in no time we were up in the air, checking out the whole district. And there was a bonus to come. He owns an ex NZ Air Force Harvard and both Shirley and I in turn were treated to flights with full on low level aerobatic manoeuvres’. Barrel rolls, Aileron Rolls, Hesitation Rolls, a Half Cuban 8 it was an amazing experience and it took two days to get the smiles off our faces.

So a lot of fun but now it’s back to the grind. And I notice that one or two of our sleeping local body politicians are coming out with their triennial populist hobby horses, so it’s going to be a fun year.