whitby residents' association invite

Dear Northern Ward Councillors,

We are holding our first WRA public meeting of the year on Monday 11 February at St Marys Church, Whitby Shopping Centre, starting at 7.30 pm.

Thereafter we will have one on the second Monday of each month, subject to confirmation. All Ward Councillors are invited to attend Council will have completed the first 100 days (plus) of the new term and you will be starting to look at the Annual Plan for 2008.

To Tim and Euon,

As the two Councillors who have regularly attended our meetings, the committee has suggested that you give us an overview of the issues that you see will be before Council in the coming year. Some suggestions for comment are: * Cost overruns and unexpected expenditure (including S&EC) * Effect of interest rate increases * Possible new major projects not scheduled in LTCCP * Containment of internal costs * Local body amalgamation and cost sharing * Rates containment * Other LA issues

There would obviously be an opportunity for public questions and all Ward councillors present would be able to respond and contribute to general discussion.

Happy New Year to you all.

Regards Jim

don't they look nice

Labour Party video

meeting fees

Councillors

Since the new system of determinations being made by the Remuneration Authority, the previous Council decided to remunerate by salary only. This meant no payment of meetings fees for attending meetings of outside organisations.

We will be putting up a paper to the Strategy, Finance and Regulatory Committee asking the Council to decide how it will remunerate its Councillors from the remuneration pool. This paper will include advice on the option of paying by a mixture of salary and meeting fees, or by salary alone.

Roger Blakeley
Chief Executive
Saturday, November 10, 2007

mana esplanade

Hi

I found an unstamped  bulky envelope from Hyder Consultants addressed to residents on Mana Esplanade and St Andrews Road hidden amongst piles of junkmail this morning and nearly threw it  out.   It contained the ‘survey’ re Review of SH1.   Did anyone not living on the Mana Esplanade/St Andrews Rd receive anything? 

There will be an Open Day at the Sea Scout Hall, Ngatitoa Domain on Saturday 17 November from 11 am – 3 pm where staff from Hyder Consultants and Boffa Miskell will be available to assist those needing help.  The ‘survey’ can also be completed on line at www.paremata-plimmerton.com.  The cut ff date is 30 November.

Judi

chance to meet the highest in the land

On Wednesday 24 October I am hosting John Key at a cocktail party at Cafe Pica, 24 Parumoana Street, Porirua from 5.30pm - 7.30pm.

The cost is $45.00. It would be great opportunity for you to meet John and hear him firsthand. If you are available, it would be really good to see you.

Kind regards
Chris Finlayson

congratulations to liz kelly

Looks as if we have only one Dow at the council table.Very close result as shown by the need for 8 iterations before a winner appeared. Even the other places were hard fought in the Bay, as no one was elected until 4 iterations.
r

first informal meeting - transmission gully

The first informal meeting of the new councillors was held tonight. Looks like 6 new councillors. Everyone spoke well and there was a good atmosphere. That forebodes well for the future. There is no result on the Western Ward as yet and so the two candidates appeared at our meeting, which was good. All the meeting dates proposed have been suddenly changed by Jenny for unclear reasons and to the effect that everyone's diaries are mucked up.

The most important thing at the meeting involved Transmission Gully. I did not know that Transit NZ has appointed a project manager (found him overseas and he is now at his desk) and there is now a dedicated team working on the project. Perhaps Transit acted when they learnt Councillor Tim Shepherd and his dog were on the case. Perhaps they were going to do it anyway.
r

opunake

I am trying to write a paper for the December conference in Te Papa that I am organising, and have purchased a bach at Opunake. Surf and a mountain.

Web page to celebrate the bach!>

r
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

that it was so clear cut

By Karl du Fresne

CURMUDGEON

The Dominion Post - 16 October 2007

New mayors (and/or councillors) have little to do with civic affairs WELL, the votes have been cast and the results declared. Now the hard work starts.

I don't mean the hard work of putting into effect the carefully considered policies and plans of the successful candidates. No, I'm talking about the supreme test of every municipal chief executive's skills - the breaking in of virgin mayors, some of whom will be seduced and deflowered with such skill that they won't even realise it has happened.

The bureaucracy is where real power usually resides in local government. I suspect it's here, more than in central government, that the classic Yes, Minister scenario - the crafty professional bureaucrat outwitting the naive, ineffectual politician - gets played out. To use another TV analogy, just as Basil Fawlty regarded guests as an impediment to the running of the perfect hotel, so these wily managers tend to view mayors and councillors as irksome meddlers in what would otherwise be the smooth and untroubled administration of civic affairs.

It's the nature of bureaucratic institutions that they end up functioning for their own convenience rather for than for the benefit of the people they suppos¬edly serve, and it's often the function of the chief executive (or town clerk, to use the more prosaic title of a previous era) to preserve this state of affairs. Idealistic new mayors and councillors come into office with their heads full of foolish notions, such as restricting rates increases to the level of inflation, and it is the job of the professional bureaucrats to persuade them of their folly.

Okay, so I'm overstating things - but not by much. After all, it's not very long ago that Dominion investigative reporter Al Morrison (now head of the Conservation Department) exposed the exist within Wellington City Council secret "Order of the Rabbit grouping of top-level mans who conspired to keep council in the dark.

Over the next few weeks expect variations of the following scenario to be played out throughout land. The newly elected mayor take a deep breath, march into the chief executive's office determined to thump the desk and demand greater accountability to the ratepayers, and come out half an hour later having meekly agreed what the council really needs another $150,000-a-year policy analyst."

stv numbers for mayoralty

Jenny BRASH elected 3 6568 6048 520

Selwyn KATENE excluded 3 3195 6048 520

Robert Keith SHAW excluded 3 2333 6048 520

Liz KELLY excluded 2 1432 6217 0

Piripi GRAY excluded 1 205 6249

Calculator commentary from last iteration...

GRAY, excluded at iteration 1, reason: Candidate received the lowest vote count 205

KELLY, excluded at iteration 2, reason: Candidate received the lowest vote count 1432

SHAW, excluded at iteration 3, reason: All available seats were filled

BRASH, elected at iteration 3, reason: Candidate received 6568 votes and absolute majority of votes was 6048

KATENE, excluded at iteration 3, reason: All available seats were filled

how the west was won

It is possible the provisional result for the Western Ward will be reversed once the special votes are counted. The result is incredibly close. Hence Liz Kelly will yet have her second term on Council. If I remember rightly, Councillor Don Borrie once made it back to council by 11 votes. I used to call him "Landslide Borrie" which he always took in good part. Titahi Bay likes to keep its councillors on a tight leash.
r
Sunday, October 14, 2007

UPDATE AND SOME OTHER ARRANGEMENTS

To the Mayor and Councillors-Elect
 
Congratulations on your provisional election to Porirua City Council!
 
Last evening I notified you of the Progress Result as at 6 pm Saturday 13
October 2007 for the PCC Elections.Those results are posted on the PCC
website:  www.pcc.govt.nz <http://www.pcc.govt.nz> 
 
As advised, the Progress Result was based upon the counting of approximately
98% of the voting papers returned. It included all voting papers except
those still in transit and special votes.
 
 
Warwick Lampp, Electoral Officer for PCC has advised me this morning that he
has processed those votes that were in the category of "in transit" and not
included in the Progress Result last night.  This comprised 95 ordinary
votes cast at the PCC Administration Building  on Saturday morning. The only
significant effect of these votes in terms of election of candidates is in
the Western Ward.   In the Progress Result as at 6 pm last night, Sarah Dow
(688 votes) was provisionally elected with 6 votes ahead of Liz Kelly (682
votes) . As a result of the processing of the 95 ordinary votes cast at PCC
on Saturday morning, Liz Kelly (710.8 votes) is now marginally ahead of
Sarah Dow (710.2 votes). That is, Liz Kelly is now provisionally the
Councillor -elect  (with a margin of less than 1 vote!). The special votes
have not yet been counted and obviously will be critical in determining the
final outcome. We expect to get the final result including special votes on
or after Wednesday 17 October 2007, as I advised you in my email of Thursday
11 October 2007. Because this is so close, I have addressed this email to
Liz Kelly and copied it to Sarah Dow.  The vote margins  (between the lowest
polling elected candidate and highest polling excluded candidate) in the
Northern Ward and Eastern Ward are sufficiently big that special votes
appear unlikely to change last night's  Progress Result of
Councillor-elects.
 
In mid September I sent a letter to all Council candidates forewarning you
of Council meetings coming up should you be elected. If you have not done so
already, please now put those meeting dates in your diary.
 
Please be aware of the following:
 
* You are Councillor-elects until you are sworn in at 7pm on  Thursday 25
October 2007 at Pataka. That is, you are not empowered to act as Councillors
until you are sworn in.
 
* You will receive a letter from me tomorrow with documents such as the
recommended Committee Structure , as recommended by the last Council for
consideration by the incoming Council, Standing Orders, Code of Conduct etc.
We will try not to dump too much information on you at once, but want to
ensure you are fully briefed about your responsibilities and the issues that
will face you as a Councillor.
 
* Mayor-elect Jenny Brash and I would each like to meet for one on one
meetings with Councillor-elects over the next few days. Our Executive
Assistants wil be in touch with you to arrange a convenient time.
 
* The first Transition workshop is at 5.30 pm on Wednesday 17 October 2007
in the Council Chamber. Dinner is served in the function room next to the
Council Chamber at 5 pm. It is our custom at this first workshop to invite
all Elected Members and EMT to introduce ourselves. In particular, you will
be invited to share your background, why you stood for election onto PCC,
what are your aspirations as a Councillor, and what you would like PCC to
have achieved by the end of this triennium in October 2010!  We will also
ask you to identify particular issues that you would like briefings on as
part of the workshops in this Council Transition process.
 
* Part 1 of the "Triennial meeting" is at 7 pm, Thursday 25 October 2007 at
Pataka. This is solely ceremonial, that is you will be sworn in as elected
members. You are encouraged to invite your family , friends or relatives to
attend this momentous occasion. Supper for all will be served at the end of
the meeting.
 
* There will be a Council retreat (although we like to think of it as an
"advance"!) at Margrain, Martinborough from 4.30 pm Friday 26 0ctober 2007
to midday Sunday 28 October 2007. This will be an opportunity for Elected
Members to share your future vision for Porirua City,  develop a collective
commitment to that future vision, and agree how you will work together as a
team to achieve that vision. The Executive Management Team  (EMT) will be
present to share in the discussion but there will be an opportunity for you
to have a session as Elected members on your own.
 
* The second Transition workshop will be at 5.30 pm on Wednesday 31 October
2007
 
* Part 2 of the "Triennial meeting" will be at 5.30 pm on Monday 5 November
2007 in the Council Chambers. This will include election of Deputy Mayor,
adoption of a committee structure, appointment of Committee Chairs and
Deputies and appointments to outside organisations
 
* The third Transition workshop will be at 5.30 pm on Wednesday 14 November
2007
 
* Site visits will be arranged on Friday 16 November 2007 for Elected
Members to visit and be briefed on City issues and Council facilities.
 
* The first committee meetings are scheduled for Thursday 29 November 2007
(subject to Council's decisions on committee structure and time on 5
November)
 
* A Council workshop is scheduled for 5.30 pm Wednesday 5 December 2007
 
* The final Council meeting for the year is at 5.30 pm on Wednesday 12
December 2007.
 
If you have any questions or need any support or assistance, please do not
hesitate to contact Mayor Jenny Brash   (DDI 237 1400) or myself (DDI 237
1401). We want to ensure a very effective transition process for the new
Council and full support for new Councillors.
 
Regards, Roger
Roger Blakeley 
Chief Executive 
Porirua City Council

surrise councillor

NB RESULTS ARE PROVISIONAL

Congratulations to 24-year-old Sarah Dow joints her mother Sue Dow at the Council Table. We are now known as Dowsville and the media will love the mother-daughter thing.

As her advertisment said:

Married with three young sons and living in Titahi Bay, Sarah is in touch with many young families and feels the Council must place more of an emphasis on the suburbs. Sarah supports a re-development of the Titahi Bay Shops and believes that Council should lead this initiative. She would advocate for our elderly and youth population for better public transport. “I believe Council must get basic services right before it embarks on larger spending. They must have a focus and vision for our community.”

WHO HAS GONE - on the provisional results of course

Historical picture.

Fact is everyone contributed to the council and played a useful part. Often the public does not see what is achieved by individuals. The experience of being beaten in an election can be painful, and well I can remember being beaten by Cr Murray Woodhouse only to have the result overturned a few hours later. Maureen Gillon departs at the hands of Jim Dearsley. John Green eliminated himself by talking only about how he could not attend meetings. Rob Rangi leaves as peacefully as he arrived. Tracey Waters did not beat John Burke for the regional council because she did not have the money to run a professional campaign. Life goes on.
r
Sunday, October 14, 2007

election results

As at 6pm Saturday 13th October 2007 the Progress Result for the Porirua City Council Elections
is as follows:
This result is based upon the counting of approximately 98% of the voting papers
returned. It includes all voting papers except those still in transit and special votes.

The outcome of these elections may change once all voting papers have been counted.
Mayoralty (1 vacancies)
BRASH Jenny elected
KATENE Selwyn excluded
SHAW Robert Keith excluded
KELLY Liz excluded
GRAY Piripi excluded
The final absolute majority of votes (final quota) as determined at the last iteration was 5843.
(98 informal votes, 174 blank votes recorded).

Northern Ward (5 vacancies)
SHEPPARD Tim elected
LEGGETT Nick elected
MURRELL Euon elected
DOW Sue elected
SHAW Robert Keith elected
KATENE Selwyn excluded
GREEN John excluded
GILLON Maureen excluded
MARTIN Keryn excluded
The final absolute majority of votes (final quota) as determined at the last iteration was
928.764922513.
(30 informal votes, 77 blank votes recorded).

Western Ward (3 vacancies)
DOUGLAS Ken elected
SMITH Henry elected
DOW Sarah elected
KELLY Liz excluded
LAVERY Bud excluded
EBBETT Graeme excluded
BURGESS Maria excluded
The final absolute majority of votes (final quota) as determined at the last iteration was
688.594110302.

GREATER WELLINGTON REGIONAL COUNCIL

MEMBERS, Porirua-Tawa Regional Constituency
(Two (2) Members to be elected)
Candidate Votes
Received
DONALDSON, Barbara Independent 5164
BURKE, John Brian Independent 4930
WATERS, Tracey Independent 3976
CLARK, Kent Independent 2469
BAKER, Grant Independent 2056
INFORMAL 747
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 888

web blog resting

The Porirua Wellington Web Blog is now suspended as Robert has to write a thesis. I want to thank all those who have contributed so much towards making the city and the council work better. Congratulations to all those newly elected to the Council. WELL THAT IS THE THEORY
r
Saturday, October 13, 2007

voter return 2007

Down 6.5% in Porirua City to 35.5% or 11,852 people.. Northern Ward by far the most active as the result of Residents' Association determination to toss some of us out.

move to bring down the $6.5 million canopies

Those with long memories will remember that I campaigned against the canopies on the grounds of expense and poor design. When I called them the "tents" the lines of debate became firm and those one my side always called them the "tents". Those on Mr Seddon's side called them the "covered walkways" or the "canopies".

I quote the officer running the project, Mr Matt Trilin who reported in the newspaper on his consultation with the public (I thought he might report to the Council, but never mind. Perhaps it is the low voter turn-out that makes the councillors totally irrelevent.): “The consistent message I got from people was that it was time for the canopies to go”. “They want more light and warmth to make that area more welcoming.

There were of course some of the arguments used by myself and others before the ratepayers paid for the tents. Right now I do not know what to think. I very much dislike the Council deciding after a few years the decisoin was a mistake and asking the ratepayers to pay for something different.
r
Saturday, October 13, 2007

porirua city development strategy

The key points are that the area north of Plimmerton will be made available for residential and light industrial development and the rural areas will be broken up into 5 ha blocks. There is some slowly forming idea of a green belt. The Jim Dearsley Plan Change will run in front of this development work that will be in an early part of the District Plan.
r
Saturday, October 13, 2007

health board facilites implode

Capital & Coast DHB is urgently seeking short-term agency assistance to help with the management of its Accident & Medical Clinic at Kenepuru Community Hospital in Porirua.

“In June this year we acknowledged publicly that we have had persistent difficulties in finding and retaining enough staff – especially doctors - to keep the centre appropriately staffed 24-hours a day, seven-days a week,” says Dr Nick Chamberlain, Director of the Board’s Planning and Funding division.

“North Wellington to Waikanae provide the population base for this A&M service and without qualified nurses, doctors and support staff, wecannot provide them with a safe service.

“Chronic shortages even led us to have to consider closing the A&M on one recent occasion, but we did manage to avert this through bringing in staff from outside the region. This is an expensive and unreliable course of action, so the Board has determined that we must now find a better, and more sustainable way forward.
Saturday, October 13, 2007

the cost of humping

You will be aware of the concerns of all sorts about the speed humps in Plimmerton. It costs about $2,000 to put a hump in or take one out. Now four of the new humps are to be removed because of complaints. $8,000 to put them in, another $8,000 to take them out. The ratepayers' have plenty of money. It is, of course, fluffing around. I gave a few people a blast over this (it was not a decision at the Council table), but what is the point, the damage is done and the Council looks very foolish.

Presumably when the first group speaks up again, the plan is to put the humps back.

One councillor has on his hoardings "do it once, do it right". I expect him to be re-elected, and hope he has more influence around the place.
r
Thursday, October 11, 2007

last night - final council meeting

The Council meeting last night was the last one for this season. There was a strong complaint registered by the owner of the Duck Creek land because of the recent decision of the Council to establish a special zone for his land. The consultation on this was launched without proper consultation, it was said. Jim Dearsley was in the gallery for this item. This proposed plan change is going to develop into a major issue for the Council and the City. It was suggested that the policy work will cost the ratepayers $100,000, and then there could be legal costs. I do not know if the owner's paper was intended to be a public document, so I will not quote from it at this time.

The only excitement at the meeting was that Jenny forgot to attend to a part of the ceo's contract and hence decisions about our one employee have now been held over to the new council. How she can actually forget a part of the action is totally beyond my understanding. She remembered the other two parts. Jenny chairs the ceo's employment committee and although I was placed on it three years ago, I resigned from it because I could not tolerate the mucking around. To help her with the action we employ a very expensive consultant, and he evidently was not available to attend the meeting. What is more, according to Jenny, he had no idea on how to fix the ommision but suggested the whole item be held over. But, he should be fired next week. When I was on the regional council I was a part of a group of councillors who managed their ceo, and we did not need to pay a consultant every year, and there were never any confusions or issues. Guess what, Jenny blamed me for not seeing the oversight! I used to be a very tolerant chap, not so much now.

I spoke about the overall budget position as we cleared the annual report, as did Cr John Green. My comments were mainly about the debt situation, which is incredibly low. We only owe $20 million. That might seem like a large sum of money, but in council terms it is tiny. The theory of debt for councils is complicated. Personally, I prefer not to pay interest, but best practice involves paying interest, and I think we had better follow the experts. The Sports and Events Centre will hardly make a blip in the council finances. Incidentally, people seem to have given up the dream that someone will pay large sums of money towards the facility. It will be almost totally ratepayer funded. Of course it will. The Mana Commuity Trust will do their bit as usual, and I thank them for it, or more correctly the residents whose money it actually is.

There were some minor break-outs of accusations between councillors. "You said ..." they say. This is normal pre-election behavour. Everyone is on edge. The good-bye talks by Cr Tracey Waters and Cr David Stanley went well. Some rather moving things were said, and there were good insights into Council processes. David is off to Mangere for his birthday celebration.
r
Thursday, October 11, 2007

melissa shaw is in a play

This month, Victoria University’s Theatre Programme presents Dark Matter!, an exciting collection of black comedies which promise to be a strong conclusion to an academic year already marked by stimulating and satisfying productions. Dark Matter! showcases the directorial debuts of three student directors.

Lecturer Bronwyn Tweddle has been guiding her class of first-time directors through the highs and lows of preparing a full-scale production. “This course makes Studio 77 a production powerhouse,” she says. “Twelve plays in twelve weeks is a huge achievement.

Frequently people say that it is impossible, but every year the students not only achieve it, but also amaze us with the standard of their work.” The evening consists of three stirring works, ranging from a home-grown Kiwi comedy by Angie Farrow, a Polish play performed entirely in silhouette and a Spanish work critiquing religion. Criteria for assessment include ‘imaginative’ use of the theatre as well as strong artistic impact, so an audience can expect to see fresh and exciting approaches to the material.

Ms Tweddle holds the talent and ability of her students in high regard, noting that she is “constantly surprised by their clever solutions” to the challenges of the course. New Zealand Lamb is directed by Sophie Prebble. It is Grace’s wedding day and everything is going to plan except that Grace’s father, a butcher from Newtown, is nowhere to be found. This very physical comedy takes us on a fast-paced ride through the streets and suburbs of Wellington looking for the father of the bride and finding a whole lot more. Striptease is a shadow play by Slawomir Mrozeck and is directed by Ralph Upton.

Inexplicable events force two men from the beaten track of their everyday commute into a small room with locked doors. Enter, stage left, a hand of supernatural size…. Orison, by Fernando Arrabal and directed by Matthew Nagel, offers a sharp critique on religion. A wicked farce, this production emphasizes the ritualistic side of theatre, as a young couple come to terms with the sudden death of their child.

Dark Matter! is playing at Studio 77 (77 Fairlie Tce, Kelburn) from Wednesday 10 – Saturday 13 October. Shows start at 7pm each night with tickets $12 waged and $8 unwaged. For bookings and further information, contact Jo Bean on (04) 463 5359, or email theatre@vuw.ac.nz

ADDITIONAL

I have now attended the play. She was fantastic even if I do say so as her Dad. Signs of success in one's children are always so unexpected! Photos here asap.
r

genesis energy ad re-done on utube, by the Greens - amusing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i12qJ-Nejgk

Also, tourist video worth a look, South Island to Wellington:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9AckrrC7Wo

France vs NZ haka (from the stand):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evLUEXEUUTc

From French TV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKnUMaR5IkA

reply to dompost letter

Frustrated in Porirua

Your correspondent M.J. Watts from Titahi Bay is rightly frustrated by our Council’s inability to control its spending (Letters 8 October 2007). I am also frustrated - because I have not managed to sign M.J.Watts to the cause of reform. At the heart of Council’s budgeting is the idea that you add up the cost of all the desirable projects and thus discover the rates to be charged. That method will never restrain rates. Council needs to implement a new approach to budgeting. I have written about this for two years on www.porirua.net and although DomPost reporters regularly read that website, I am frustrated that it remains insufficiently read by good people like M.J.Watts.
Robert Shaw
Porirua City Councillor
Mayoral Candidate Porirua City

listen to candidates online

Listen to Robert on why we need a new mayor >

http://www.accessradio.org.nz/elections07.html

hemi matenga - candidate eastern porirua

Minister of Youth Development Nanaia Mahuta
and youthful candidate Hemi Matenga.

Taloha ni, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Ni sa bula vinaka, Namaste, Kia orana koutou katoatoa, Ia Orana, Gud de tru olgeta, Talofa, Kia ora tatau and Warm Aotearoa Pacific Greetings to you.

I want to thank all my friends, whanua and all who have supported me during my election campaign. Please remember to vote if you haven’t done so already and encourage all your mates, family and neighbours as well.

Post your voting papers in before Wednesday 10th October or hand them to the Electoral Officer at Porirua City Council before you miss out and its too late.

If you are registered on the Electoral Role and have no voting papers, contact Warick Lampp toll free on 0508 666 336 and he will be able to help you cast your vote. Remember Your Vote Counts!

If you live in the Eastern Ward your candidates are Dr Selwyn Katene (Mayor), Hemi Matenga, Taima Fagaloa, Litea Ah Hoi (Council), David Stanley (HMCT, and PCT), and Margaret Faulkner (C&CDHB).

If you live in the Western Ward your candidates are Dr Selwyn Katene (Mayor), Henry Smith, Bud Stanley (Council), David Stanley (HMCT, and PCT), and Margaret Faulkner (C&CDHB).

Once again, thank you for supporting a younger and positive voice for Council.

Pearson Education NZ media release about Robert's book

New Zealand’s First Textbook on Astronomy and Space

Pearson Education New Zealand announces the first New Zealand text book on astronomy and space for secondary school students. The book is Astronomy Aotearoa by Porirua City author Robert Shaw.

The Hon Luamanuvao Winnie Laban formally launched the book on the 17 September 2007. Minister Laban said “this book will capture the interest and imagination of readers, and hopefully inspire them to continue studying science”.

“More young New Zealanders – and especially more young Māori and Pasifika New Zealanders – need to consider a career in science in order for our country to compete and thrive in the global economy of the 21st Century” said Ms Laban. Lewis Moeau spoke at the book launch on behalf of the Minister of Maori Affairs.

The book, Astronomy Aotearoa, teaches the new curriculum in astronomy and space exploration to secondary school students. This curriculum is in three unit standards and provides a total of 12 credits at NCEA level 1.

Pearson Education New Zealand produced the book in cooperation with the Carter Observatory which was important in establishing the new school curriculum along with science teachers from throughout New Zealand. The book begins by considering the students’ personal relationship to the stars and the planets. It challenges them to see themselves as insignificant in the vastness of space, yet significant in themselves. It then considers the role of astronomy in the history of the Pacific Ocean peoples including the Maori.

Maori text was contributed by Anaru Reedy of Te Wananga O Aotearoa. Mr Reedy is a student in the ancient Maaori art of wayfinding without instruments, and specialises in the art of sailing contemporary waka ama, and waka hourua. Mr Reedy said the book introduces students to “an aspect of Maori culture that inspires many of our young people”. There is a section on the voyages of exploration of Asian and Pacific people and the colonisation of Pacific Islands including Aotearoa New Zealand.

The book teaches the history of Western Science. There is emphasis on leading figures such as Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Scientists appear as people along with an introduction to their theories. In all cases the book seeks to make science accessible to students of all abilities.

The book features the work of many New Zealand photographers including Wellingtonian Paul Moss. Mr Moss said many amateur photographers watch the sky and take unique photographs. “It is wonderful to see their work in print”. Professional astronomers from Canterbury and Auckland universities feature, along with amateur astronomers who have made an important contribution to astronomy. Professors John Hearnshaw (Canterbury) and Phil Yock (Auckland) are prominent as the book sets out New Zealand’s contribution to science administration and astronomical research. Of particular importance is the research of those in the MOA project, which detects planets outside of our solar system. New Zealanders have a leading role in this work that is relevant to humankind’s effort to detect intelligent life on other planets.

Pearson Education commissioning editor, Ken Harrop, said his company had a strong presence in mathematics education and Astronomy Aotearoa would strengthen its products in basic science. “We see these areas of the curriculum as vital for New Zealand students and the economic development of our country”, he said. Mr Harrop paid tribute to the astronomers and photographers who had supported the project. “There is a vast wealth of material available for such a book, particularly on the internet, and our design experts have been faced with the happy task of selecting the most dramatic and instructive items.”

He acknowledged the work of the author, Robert Shaw. “Robert was a physics teacher with a particular interest in astronomy. He took a leading part in the development of the new curriculum standards. Now he has completed that work by providing an interpretation of those standards that will guide science teachers for many years to come. We are delighted to have him as one of our authors.”

Aotea College principal Julia Davidson said the work would be important in the teaching of science throughout New Zealand. She said it was a “wonderful resource” that addressed a particular need in schools.

Minister Luamanuvao Winnie Laban also congratulated those involved. She said “I’d like to acknowledge Robert Shaw, and congratulate him on this wonderful book. “I’d also like to thank Robert for his work in developing those unit standards when he was a manager of the Distance Education Unit and a member of the Carter Observatory Board” she added.

porirua city coat of arms

The arms were granted on 1st December 1965.

The shield is green and is charged with two piles divided into five silver and five blue wavy bars. The green colour of the field depicts the greenness and rural atmosphere of the countryside which existed when Porirua was first settled. The blue and white triangles (Piles) are symbolic of the two arms of the Porirua Harbour.

The Crest is a Whale in natural shape and colour in front of an ancient galley with sail set red Pennon and blue flags flying. The whole surmounts a wreath of green and silver. The mantlings are green and silver with colours reversed on each side. The Whale recalls the main occupation of the first European settlers at Porirua and Titahi Bay whilst the galley, or sailing ship, recalls the ships which were so very much in evidence in Porirua Harbour between 1830 and 1850.

The Soldier supporter recalls that the 58th Regiment was one of the British regiments which spent some time in the Porirua district in the early days of its settlement. The Maori warrior symbolises the long association of the Maori people with Porirua.

The Motto "Mo Te Katoa Nga mahi" is translated "All That is Done is For the Benefit of All".

nice picture of jenny

"meet the candidates" paremata

Tuesday 2 October, starting time 7.30pm

deck creek - one side is happypy

another book launch photo by paul moss

Jenny Brash (Mayor of Porirua City), Richard Bentley (Carter Observatory chairperson), Robert Shaw, Hon Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, Julia Davidson (Principal, Aotea College), listen to Lewis Moeau, who spoke at the book launch on behalf of the Minister of Maori Affairs.

robert's view on the mayor's job

In Porirua City, this election is about who has the skills needed to advance our council, and lead our city. Choosing our mayor is not about sentiment or good looks. It is about electing the best person to bring our fractious council together, and to deliver results.

We must believe in ourselves, and see every one’s contribution as important and valuable. People contribute to their communities in many ways. Some work for the local kindy, and others work to promote business in the CBD. Some people paint fences, as happened in recently in Plimmerton, and others worry about beach management, as is the case at Pukerua Bay and Titahi Bay. There are many tireless workers who seek to green our city and take responsibility for patches of bush and reserves. Care groups are important. We are all grateful to those who give of their time, ideas, and energy.

Serving on a council needs to be seen the same way. Those who are there, are there for a short time, to offer their skills and to work for the community. The work of the council requires, that people set aside their personal agendas and animosities - and paddle together. We are all in the same boat. And there is plenty of work to be done.

As mayor, I would see first task as setting the councillors to work. We need to harness their ideas and energy. At the moment they are an underutilised resource. Councillors must do their homework. They must come to meetings prepared, and ready to vote on the decisions of day. As mayor I will not tolerate disruptions to the business of council. Equally, I will strive to make certain that everyone has a full opportunity to contribute their ideas and participate in decision-making.

This also extends to the way in which the council interacts with its community. We must move beyond the disastrous model of “consultation” and establish partnerships that lead to power sharing. Some of the steps we are taking in this direction are seen in the popular “village strategy” work. In our city, we all agree on the broad goals. We want our suburbs to be unique and of high quality. Community facilities must contribute to our way of life. There must be walkways, bush, and a preserved coastline. The hill tops must be visible and green, and view shafts need to be protected. Few people know that from Porirua City on a crisp morning you can see Mount Ruapahu. We also have magnificent views of the south island. From an aeroplane the twin harbours of Porirua are unique and beautiful. On the ground we have unique communities, each with history and identity. Our communities offer residents companionship and opportunities. Sports clubs and the recreation venues are important. As are schools and shops. There must be facilities for children and for the elderly. It is to protect these things, and enhance our quality of life, that we must re-write the District Plan. The rules of town planning need to be more firm and consistent with the aspirations of communities. As we do this Porirua will be increasingly respected and admired. The advantages of the Porirua lifestyle will become well known. Property values will benefit from town planning.

Town planning is an example of the core business of council. In recent years, our council has lost its focus on core business.

We have said “yes” to everyone and completed little. It is easy to add projects and to continue funding things year-after-year. It is much more difficult to set priorities and establish a firm understanding of those priorities. The fact is, good projects have to wait their turn. Another way of saying this is that we must live within a realistic budget. Porirua’s rates are out of step with those elsewhere – we must deal with this problem.

Some people say that this year’s rates increase in Porirua is moderate compared to other places. They forget that a one percent increase in rates in Porirua is a far greater sum of money than a one percent increase in Wellington. What is more, the situation actually worsens each year. The difference compounds. Adjusting the rates, is, of course, not as easy as it looks. Had it been easy, the problem would have been fixed by now. The answer lies within the budget process. The procedures we adopt when we make decisions contribute in large part to the outcomes. If you head off in wrong direction, you end up in the wrong place.

The tradition in Poriura has been, to list the desirable projects and add up the cost. I have advocated a new approach – a three-step budget process. This process would have the councillors and the community settle the question of council’s income before deciding how to spend the money. It would also produce for us, a genuine opportunity to compare like-with-like as we make budget decisions. Our tradition has been consider $17 million projects at the same time that we consider street lights, rubbish, and dogs.

Council has to find new ways to do things. There is already a distinctive Porirua way. We are friendly people. We believe in progress and the importance of our environment. We all, actually want to work together. We strive to respect each other. To give every one a fair go. And to learn as we go along. Council is but an extension of the community and it must function to reflect the values of our community. It is to advance these things that I seek your support for the mayoralty of Porirua City.
Robert Shaw
Thursday, September 20, 2007

astronomy book launched at last

Our local Member of Parliament, and now Minister of the Crown, did a wonderful job launching the book, and evidently I took it very seriously.

triangle television

In Conversation - Mayoral Candidate Special

                                          REGION:                    Broadcast date:

• Porirua                         27 September  - 8:00pm
• Kapiti Coast                  28 September  -8:00pm
• Wellington                     4 October         -8:00pm
• Lower Hutt                     5 October         -8:00pm

sign of the times

There is fuss about the Labour sign on a building in town. From what I know of it, it is legal, although one of the people who telephoned me said they had covered some office windows.

On Kenepuru Drive all signs trashed this morning, except Labour. I did not put a sign up there because I know the tradition. Although no one has told me so, I would predict the same in Titahi Bay.

I knew something was going on in the Labour camp because not one of their people attended last night's Council meeting. They were all out putting up their signs and meeting the people. In the meantime, the Development Strategy for the City was released - a major step towards a new District Plan.

You learn to expect this in these campaigns. There have also been a few dirty emails flying round and some confrontations between candidates. Everyone is getting excited now. Well, the candidates are getting excited. The public is still sound asleep. The end is in sight.
r
Thursday, September 20, 2007

health sector pay dispute

Did you hear the news this morning. The chief execuives of 21 District Health Boards have a very odd view of managment. They spend our money telling their staff how they are valued and vital to the success of hospitals, and then they instruct their pay negotiator to take a tough line. Well that is what the negotiator said. Consistency flies out the window. It is not entirely the ceo's fault, the acutal strucutre of decision-making is destined to fail us all.

There are serious issues about the use of temporary staff that cost a fortune. Having cut staff so much over the years they now pay medical specialsits to be clerical assistants and data entry persons. It would be great if they actully could have the qualified people work with patients. Which is all they want to do..
r
Thursday, September 20, 2007

campaign joy

The meeting at Whitireia polytechnic was excellent this time. Searching questions and a very attentive audience. Likewise with Plimmerton. The Business Porirua meeting was small, perhaps they selected a bad time (4.30 pm) or perhaps we are all just not very interesting. The session at Triangle TV with Noel Cheer went well for everyone. I am of the opinion that Porirua City should have its own tv channel, like Southland. We would easily find content and it would be a ramp up for many students seeking to advance in different areas of performance.

It took me over half an hour to fill out the questionnaire sent by Business Porirua. I think they copied the questions being asked in Wellington, and hence took us into several unusual areas.

As the pamphlets go out, the phone calls come in. I enjoy having a chat with people but it is time consuming. At the last moment my campaign committee had a squabble about what was to be said in the newspaper ads. My idea was killed. They wanted a more meaningful statement. Something that emphasised the real job of the mayor.

I have now refused two offers of significant financial support, one from a developer and one from an major business in our city. It is important the councillors are not in any way beholding to groups with specific interests in council decisions. People offer to place ads themselves to support me, but even that is dubious. Independent means independent.

There is some destruction of signs. As usual, it pays not to be close to a school. Jenny and I are frequently hit in Titahi Bay - we are outsiders! Whitby has been bad in previous campaigns but they seem reaonable this time. I want to thank the people who fix up everyone's sign without political discrimination. They are doing a useful job for democracy and saving the candiates work.
r
Thursday, September 20, 2007

candidates' meeting

wind farm

What do those standing for Regional Council think about the Puketiro Windfarm proposal?

Find out at a Public Meeting
Monday 24 September 7.30 pm – Lodge at the Inlet
182 Paekakariki Hill Road, Pauatahanui

Greater Wellington Regional Council owns a significant area of land in the Pauatahanui area for which they have given the right to develop a wind farm to RES. 

Recently there has been concern expressed about the development.  It is likely to be a significant local issue over the next few years so the PRA thought it may assist voters to know what the local Regional Council candidates think about the development and who they would like to be the advocate for them around the Council table on this issue.

Please note that the PRA does not have a position on the windfarm development as we are awaiting further information.  Nor does it declare support or otherwise for any political candidates.  The purpose of the meeting is to facilitate and provide a forum for people seeking to find out what potential representatives think of the proposal and to hear how they may address the range of views within the community.

Further information from committee members:
Lynette Wharfe 235 5174                       Alan Gray          233 1148
Mike Conroy     238 2683                       Ken McAdam    237 7878
Nicky Chapman 234 8982                       Kay Middleton   237 7446

titahi bay beach

I forgot to mention an action from last Thursday's meeting, and was reminded.

There is nothing more contentious than the issue of "cars on the beach" at Titahi Bay. Well that was the situation in the past, today it might be less of a heated issue.

A substantial draft beach management plan was endorsed by the City Services Committee for consultation. I crafted the first part of the motion to set out some things about the discussion that will soon be held regarding the "cars" issue. The situation is made complicated by the fact that Greater Wellington as well as PCC are involved. Some of the area belongs to them and some to your local council.

Already, there has been a High Court legal action foreshadowed against the Council regarding aspects of the plan or the preliminary work done on it. This is in the name of the Titahi Bay Residents' Association. It is clear there is much discussion to be had about this policy and I look forward to that. It would be very good if some agreed way ahead could be found.
r
Saturday, September 15, 2007

COMMENT FROM TITAHI BAY RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION

" WITHOUT PREJUDICE

TBRA Inc believes existing rules allowing for cars on the beach were set in concrete
by three Environment Court Orders in 1999-2000.
We are insisting that PCC complies and instigates a Beach Management Plan to enforce
those rules.

An application for an Interim High Court Order is intended to maintain the status quo
and prevent the Council from deviating with other ineffectual plans or bylaws.

The Porirua City Council must sort out with the Regional Council where their mutual responsibilities lie with respect to the Titahi Bay Beach. It has to be asked why there has been no progress since 2000?
Graeme Ebbett
Chairman
Titahi Bay Residents Assn Inc
C/- 37 Terrace Rd, Titahi Bay, Porirua.
Work Ph 568 6377, Fx 568 2374
Home Ph 236 8574, Fx 236 8591
Email ebbett.automation@clear.net.nz"

why this blog features many candidates

I am asked by a new blog reader, why do I put on the internet the ideas of candidates who are my political opponents?

The purpose of the blog is to encouremselves available - they put their names and reputations on the line. They offer themselves for community service. They spend their own money in the interests of the community. They all deserve our respect.

Incidentally, our Residents Associations for over 35 years have been important in fostering all the candiates.They have helped the community by providing impartial meeting forums and pamphlets, thereby helping candidates to set out their views. When I was first active in an association, it was the Pukerua Bay RA, and I can remember helping with that work.

Hence, my approach is to help everyone - without necessarily agreeing with them.
r
Saturday, September 15, 2007

PS this blog now has competition - there is Porirua discussion on http://www.nickleggett.co.nz

the supermarket guy

Ruth and I went to Porirua City Fitness for our first session last night. It was great and afterwards we did the shopping at Pac & Save. A chap aged about 35 came up to me and introduced himself. Told me his views and I talked to his small daughter who evidently had just won a running race. What was most interesting was that this chap had taken it upon himself to look after a set of steps and a track close to his house. Without the voluntary work of people, our city would be much worse than it is. The council cannot do everything that needs to be done. Yet people work away, totally unknown, in the interests of us all - and it makes a real difference.
r
Saturday, September 15, 2007

test for candidates

Some chap was complaining to me about the city's finances. On and on he spoke and I listened very carefully. Then I asked him: what is the total value of the assets council is responsible for? He did not know so I told him. Then, I asked him: how much debt does the council have? He did not know, so I told him. Finally he said: "f***,. you do bloody well - you have my vote".

Let me ask council candidates:

What is the value of the assets we are responsible for?

What is the total rates take?

What proportion of income comes from fees and charges?

What is the level of (designated, proper) financial reserves?

What is the level of city debt, and how does that compare with other places?

Now the answers to these questions are numbers. If you do not know the numbers, I wonder how you can begin to think in a serious way about the business of the council.
r
Friday, September 14, 2007

ADDITIONAL

This has caused some debate. I guess the candidates do not need to be financial experts. However, the point I am making is they do need to achieve a reasonable level of understanding about the business of council. Also, and most important, those elected need to be prepared to put in the work. You have to prepare for meetings - read the papers and come with your ideas formed. The meetings of the council are to make decisions, not to learn about things.

Anyone can say anything and they often do in election campaigns. However, in this campaign the standard of discussion has been excellent. The candidates are all friendly towards each other! I have enjoyed getting to know Selwyn Katene, whom I had not met before the campaign.
r
Saturday, September 15, 2007

survey results

The Communitrak survey for March/April 2007 is now available. I will read it in the weekend but for the moment:

Of the 39% who mentioned something to disapprove of, 10% mentioned the recreation centre. However, of the 42% who could think of something to approve of, 7% mentioned the recreation centre. ie the numbers were about even.

Those most likely to be dissatisfied with the Council are retired, northern ward, European, ratepayers over 40 years of age who have lived in the city over 10 years - you learn something new every day!!
r
Friday, September 14, 2007

busy week - meeting highlights

Council meetings Tuesday and Wednesday nights and all day Thursday. Plenty of business dispatched. Important advances on the District Plan review with the wind farm policy launched for consultation and the development framework also now public. It has been agreed that the development framework will be the first chapter of the new District Plan. I was pleased to have this point accepted. The more context and high level rationale we provide the better. It is not possible to create a rule that does not entail discretion and the higher level analysis is something to appeal to when making arguments about the use of discretion.

The wind farm policy attracted 7 submissions and a full gallery. Important and helpful statements were made. It turns out there are two wind farm proposals being developed in our city. I would like to know about the cumulative effects of the two.

The Council's position on the Shand report has been sorted. We will write one letter and then wait to see what develops. Also sorted is the drainage issues at Takapuwahia. Nice to have a project on the way to completion. First draft of the Annual Report cleared to the auditors. We need to sort the targeted audits, something that has not been considered for a few years. The idea is to have special audits on topics of concern. Also, useful work on the priorities for the District Plan review. People are pleased that the work that relates to the suburban zone is being better identified. Also reported was the work on the Pauatahanui catchment which involves a remarkable number of land owners. I found nothing to criticise in the projects, but did wonder if someone might be interested in establishing a local bird census.
r
Thursday, September 13, 2007

analysis of shand report on rates - take care what you wish for

Full insightful analysis of the report here>  

"The report offers some additional funding,  and several small-moderate sized revenue raising tools.   The additional funding is targeted, and therefore has distributional effects.  Much will depend on the criteria that apply to things such as the Contestable Infrastructure Fund and the proposed changes to FAR – truly the devil is in the detail.  It is not even clear whether some recommendations represent an injection of new funding into the sector,  or a reprioritisation of existing funds.

The proposed changes to rating system appear to promote a ‘cleaner’, more transparent rating system. But this comes with some loss of flexibility to design local funding solutions  and with adjustment/transitional issues even with the phase in of some recommendations. Initially it appears that the main ‘winner’ from these recommendations will be the business sector and low valued properties, at the expense of the rural sector and owners of moderate-high value properties.  Again we strongly recommend that your local authority model the impacts of these changes as part of your evaluation of the report.

But the real issue for the sector comes in the recommendations around accountability and decision-making.   Some of these represent a fundamental shift in our constitutional arrangements that dwarfs the changes made in 2002.  The independent review agency will be able to place itself in the shoes of elected members and consider the reasonableness of financial decisions.  While local authorities will be able to deal with recommendations from an independent review body as they see fit, those recommendations will carry enormous ‘moral value’ to the public.   The report seeks to introduce more consultation, yet claims the LTCCP process is constipated."

plimmerton cell tower

INFORMATION FROM THE COUNCIL

This is advice for your information because of the level of interest that there can be in these cell towers.

We have received an application and granted a certificate of compliance for a 12 metre high Telecom cell tower at the Plimmerton Boating Club. It has the same appearance and height as the towers that Vodafone have been installing that were the subject of resident concern approximately18 months ago.

It is one of the lower output local distribution towers to improve local coverage and marine coverage. It fully complies with the District Plan permitted activity standards so we are legally obliged to issue a certificate of compliance. This tower is on private land owned by the boating club and is approximately 66 metres into the site from Moana Road and approximately 86 metres from the nearest residential boundary.

It will be partially screened from Moana Road properties by boating club buildings and frontage planting. It is not likely to draw the concern that the proposed towers in Titahi Bay and Takapuwahia drew because of its distance from residential properties compared with those ones.

It will also be visually absorbed to an extent by the forest of yacht masts in the foreground and the Titahi Bay Radio masts in the background.

pauatahanui inlet agm

PAUATAHANUI INLET COMMUNITY TRUST

ANNUAL REPORT 2007

"The Pauatahanui Inlet Community Trust was established in May of 2002. It was charged with the responsibility of facilitating the implementation of the Pauatahanui Inlet Action Plan: “Towards Integrated Management”.
The Vision Statement in the Plan is
“The Pauatahanui Inlet and its catchment will be managed to
Enhance the quality of the environment by protecting the integrity of existing ecosystems and by restoring degraded ecosystems wherever possible.
Enable people to enjoy recreational activities and to undertake economic activities without compromising the reasonably foreseeable needs of present and future generations.
This can only be achieved by management agencies and the community working together”

The Trust has now completed its fifth year of operation."

COMMENT ON THE FUTURE BY CHAIRPERSON

The Trust is increasingly active in its role of integrating the management of activities in the Inlet and its catchment.  The next year will require further participation in the Porirua Harbour and Catchment Management Programme, the Pauatahanui Vegetation Frameworks Project, the Rural Review Reference Group, the Inlet Pathway, the Pauatahanui Inter-agency Group, the Porirua Roading Strategy, Transmission Gully, and research developments.  It is clear that the catchment around the Inlet will continue to change rapidly and the Trust will need to be able to adapt to accommodate and address those changes.

Finally I would like to thank the local community groups which have shown support for PICT and its work

Christine Stanley
Chair
September 2007

ROBERT COMMENTS

Care groups of all sorts sprang up in the last decade. They are actually a form of, or part of, our local government system. The focus they bring to particular places and issues is more than a council can ever provide. Those who support the super city idea and the amalagamation for councils in our region do not realise that the demand from those actually involved in their communities is for more detailed and targeted work.

The success of the Pauatahanui group is the strong emphasis they bring to scientific work. There is a research base of monitoring and investigation that relates to the inlet. This began with the DSIR many years ago (I have the book they published on the inlet and it is a wealth of information and ideas). Consequently, we know that the ratepayers' money is being spent on the right projects.

Personally, I think we need to find more money for this work. At the moment the budget runs at about a third of the annual required spend for a half decent job. This contrasts with the effort going into other things. For example, we are still working hard on solving unemployment, when both Aussi and NZ have record lows of unemployment and need migrants to maintain the labour force.
r
Saturday, September 8, 2007

"pick nick" - corny slogan

ROBERT COMMENTS

Nick Leggett is in for the Northern Ward with his new slogan - Pick Nick. You may remember his earlier slogan, and be relieved about this one. The earlier one was "Give Leggett a leg up".

This is his only photo on the internet at the moment. You may remember him from such well known films as "The Godfather" and "The Sopranos".

Nick's web site>

COMMENT FROM PICK NICK

An interesting debate at the Porirua City Council last week (as reported on the Kapi Mana News front page) about the future of Business Porirua. The city’s economic development agency has come to council to ask for an additional $40k this year over the $70k they already receive.

Euon Murrell who is the council rep on BP strongly supported this while Ken Douglas and Mayoral candidate Liz Kelly did not.

For the record, I think the current BP model needs to be re-thought. They have been forced into running small business courses (Govt Contracts) over recent years and everyone has lost sight of what their core business is. Are they are network for local business people? A ‘helper’ for new businesses or the lead voice for economic development in Porirua? Probably a blend of all three however I would argue the latter is the most critical job and one that the council needs to take more ownership over. It’s stupid to suggest council should let BP sink. They have invested hundreds of thousands of ratepayers money in the agency over the last 15 years and to kick them in the guts now is not the right step. Council needs to think very seriously about ‘who does what’ in terms of economic development and they must do that very soon.

Northern Ward Candidate Nick Leggett

REMEMBER THE POPE-MOBILE

health board candidates

Notice this is a list of about half the length as last time. All the medically qualified people are not standing again. Nor is Ken Douglas.

I ask the question: which of these people is qualified to manage a half billion dollar annual budget? The quality of policy advice is a major problem, wasted money is a major problem, board dynamics is a major problem. There are also two other major organisations separate from the Board that think they are running the show. As I said before, why does anyone think the system will work? The health system nationally, and our Board, are in crisis.
r
Wednesday, August 29, 2007

1. Trisha Inglis
2. Adrian Webster
3. Michael Appleby
4. David Chamberlain
5. Hayley Wain
6. Jim Delahunty
7. Karen Coutts
8. Petra van den Munckhof
9. Kent Clark
10. John Cook
11. Gordon Strachan
12. Peter Roberts
13. Helene Ritchie
14. Coltyn Shaw
15. Virginia Hope
16. Margaret Faulkner
17. Donald Urquhart-Hay
18. Sandra Patton
19. Judith Aitken
20. Felicity McLennan
21. Ruth Gotlieb

plimmerton residents' association

Hi
My responses are below with the questions. Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Robert Shaw

Questions for Candidates August 2007

Q1. What will you do to contain overall residential rates to no more than the rate of inflation.

The level of rates is an outcome of the budget process. We must alter the process to bring discipline to decision-making. I have lead the charge in this and will continue to do so, given half a chance.

Q2. What will you do to promote the immediate use of current mechanisms available to you to reduce the influence of property value on rates by: • Increasing user charges for Council services including cultural, recreational and sporting facility use and services, as well as recovering the full cost of regulatory and professional services? • Significantly increasing the Uniform Annual General Charge from its current low percentage level to the legally permitted level?

It is simplistic to say “change this” or “change that”. Often gross changes have unexpected effects. If council imposed full charges for sports grounds, the sports clubs would largely cease to operate. Likewise there would be a marked impact on the use of the library if it was a full charge regime. Consequently, balance is required in this decision making.

Incidentally, it would be good to discuss with people the new approch to setting landfill charges that the council adoped about nine months ago. Having to think though this exercise was useful because it brought forward many of the issues around charges.

Q3. What will you do to consult and safeguard possible changes to the District Plan which may impact on Plimmerton?

Initially, the plan of the council was to wait to the end of the statutory period and then review the District Plan. I was pleased my motions to establish a rolling review of the District Plan was established and funded in the LTCCP. Just two weeks ago I moved a notice of motion to have our priorities for the rolling review of the District Plan re-considered. We face serious challenges regarding the District Plan. At the moment the intention is to consult using the methods that have been used before. This will not do. My concerns about this are one of my main reasons for being a mayoral candidate.

Q4. In what ways will you support the extension and development of the village strategy ?

I moved the motion that established the village strategy budget item. I will move further motions in a bid to increase that funding from the current level of $1 million a year. It is important that the Council puts some rules around how this money is to be spent.

Whilst there is a review of this programme planned after a further year of operation that is too slow in my opinion.

The essential issue in this is who decides on how the money is to be spent. My view is that the allocation is to be genuinely “bottom up” (pardon the expression) decision making – hence the council should delegate the spending on this programme to the chief executive on the basis that he will negotiates the decisions with the community. The role of the councillors, in my model, is no more than deciding the total annual allocation.

There is a tension between CBD and suburban spending. There must be a balance, and a rationale for that balance. Only with the establishment of the village strategy budget item has work on establishing that balance become possible. Now, at last, this is emerging as an issue to be addressed.

Q5 What will you do to engage fully with the community and use residents’ associations as a prime contact points?

How do you see this being achieved? If you have any formal allegiance to a political party or interest group, how will you balance this with your duty to the electorate as a whole? At present the council annually provides a small amount of money to the residents’ associations and the Ngati Toa on the basis that they will provide information to the council. They are also provided with agendas and other material. This system recognizes them as having a formal role in local government in our city. Without the involvement of the associations the council would be impeded. The requirements of residents are so diverse and the range of issues so great that it is impossible for the elected persons to cover everything. I try to pick my targets. At the moment I am most concerned about some aspects of the District Plan, and the new approach to budgeting. I have no formal or informal allegiance to any political party or interest group.

Q6. What will you do to promote study and discussion of this matter within the Region?

Like everyone else, I support the discussion. I have recently been involved in an action to have our officers review opportunities for regional co-operation and the merging of services. Some projects are rather obvious possibilities for regional management, for example the delivery of potable water and the management of the sewerage system. However, the preservation of our unique character, the look and feel of our communities - in other words, the District Plan - I would not want to see decided in Wellington. We have a tough enough job now with a small number of unique suburbs and their special requirements. The whole direction of communities is for them to want to maintain their identity. The involvment of people in their community - particuarly in having a real say in how things develop - contributes to a sense of belonging and indeed to mental health.

The Plimmerton Residents Association thanks candidates for their replies.

robert comments on the rates enquiry from a porirua perspective

Call for "expenditure restraint" tame and unrealistic

The report says there is a looming rates crisis but does not produced a realistic solution.

Their call for "expenditure restraint" is lame and pointless.

If expenditure restrain was a realistic mechanism it would have worked by now.

Many councillors commit to rates restraint, but that does not stop rates increases.

Work on budgeting processes needs to be done.

Councils must change the way they go about making decisions.

The approach to budgeting works against effective discipline.

The plan to increase the uniform rates charge to 50% will cause outrage in Porirua City.

One part of Porirua's rates policy is to protect the poor in our city.

Poverty is an issue for us.

The imposition of petrol taxes for regular council expenditure would be very unpopular.

Petrol taxes are accepted by people when the money is directed at a major roading project, but they are not an adequate base for ongoing council funding.

The requirement for improved reporting is also tame, it is necessary to say how this is to be achieved.

Compulsory water meters in Porirua City will reduce the cost to businesses, who already have meters, and increase the charges to residents. It may be seen positively as a move to support businesses.

In Wellington we are extremely fortunate that we do not have water supply issues, and we would be very foolish to adopt a user-pays model that will make sense in Auckland.

Water is a monopoly, like electricity, and needs to be ring fenced on a cost-recovery basis as it is in Wellington at the moment by our own Act of Parliament.

whitby residents' association

At last the Whitby Residents Association has begun to act like a residents association. They facilitated a good discussion. Their meeting last night was an impartial forum.

During election campaigns the associations have an important role in our city in providing a platform for candidates to be heard and for their to be discussion. Often candidates are nervous about speaking in public and they need support. Everyone at the Whitby meeting list night spoke well.

It was interesting that the meeting turnout was quite low. Which actually gave people a good chance to ask questions. The low turn out may well be because the meeting was well in advance of the campaigns springing into gear.

Candidates of all kinds need to be supported in their offering themselves to serve their city and the association did well in its role of supporting democracy. Well done Whtiby and chairperson Jim Dearsley.
r
Tuesday, August 28, 2007

CANDIDATE SHEPHERD RESPONDS

"Hear, Hear!" re yr blog on WRA mtg last night!!

ANOTHER PERSON WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BE NAMED RESPONDS

I was getting very worried about the Whitby Association being political and fighting with the Council all the time. It is good that they are looking to support the process and leave the political fighting to the candidates.

ceo complains

Tim

Thankyou for sending me a copy of your email of Saturday 25 August below to St Andrews Rd residents.

You appeasr to be claiming the credit in your email of 25 August 2007 for extracting a stastement out of Graham Taylor as conveyed by the Transit Communications Advisor that : "As far as concerns that Transit is considering changing the speed limit at Plimmerton, Transit has no intention of changing the limit from the current 50km/h".

In fact, the Communications Advisor is quoting straight from Graham Taylor's email to me, which he copied to you, of Monday 20 August 2007."

I can confirm my verbal advice on Friday night that there is no intention to change the 50 km/h speed limit in Plimmerton and even if such a proposal was to come out of the current review, as we briefly discussed, I would be surprised if such a proposal found any traction in Transit".

I have no wish to claim the credit for extracting the statement from Graham Taylor.

I recognise that you are a nominated Council candidate and I am an officer.

What does offend me is your casting aspersions on me in your email below (which I have explained in my previous email), when in fact it was my email to Graham Taylor and Roly Frost of Sunday 19 August 2007 (that you derided) that resulted in the statement by Graham Taylor that you are so pleased about!

As I said before, let's work together and not against each other.

Regards, Roger Roger Blakeley Chief Executive Porirua City Council

inlet woes

Who's stuffed up our inlet ? by Robin Gunston

candidates again

Hi Robert

  I take no offence at your suggesting, albeit a little condescendingly perhaps, that I’m a “candidate being a candidate” but, at least on this occasion, I think you’re misreading the situation!

  The email I copied to you, as an interested Northern Ward councillor, was signed out as Tim Sheppard , “for Plimmerton Residents’ Assn” – a representation you omitted from your blog. As you know the PRA has been battling against Transit for many years now and I personally have been leading the charge for our Plimmerton residents for the last five years. My efforts on behalf of our community are not new and long pre-date any thought of running for Council. (Have you forgotten the 26 street meetings I organised in our community two years ago?)

  I do understand your position that Council should try to keep good relations with Transit. Fair enough. But you surely know that the Paremata/Mana/Plimmerton communities have been having to defend themselves continuously from Transit moves against them for a very long time and yes, many of us do see our struggle in terms of a David vs Goliath battle.

  FYI I have endeavoured to mend fences with Transit and just in the last month have had constructive exchanges (email and in person) with Graham Taylor on how to move forward. In this context we were particularly disappointed to learn, just days later, of a Transit Board “Action Paper” proposing to increase the speed limit through residential St Andrew’s Rd. Surely you didn’t expect us to roll over and accept that, did you?

  I’d suggest that over the last triennium one of the most important issues for PCC has been that of Transit’s proposal for an expanded Coastal Highway running through our residential communities (etc) and the alternative of a more secure Transmission Gully. Did you make a personal submission on that? Did you attend any of the public hearings?

The DomPost last week suggested in an editorial that Roading was the number one issue for local councils at this election. As a contender for the Mayoralty, running against an incumbent who has provided strong leadership on this matter, you might like to shore up your position on SH1 problems from Paremata to Pukerua Bay .

Cheers

  Tim

ROBERT COMMENTS

I would be interested to see what Tim thinks is the mayors "leadership" on Transmission Gully.

plan change hearing for eqm

Crs Stanley, Kelly and Palmer will hear the change application starting next week and decide.This is our second major plan change application in recent times, the other being the Aotea Block.

the "thinkpiece" for the porirua development framework

The think piece on the Porirua Development Framework has appeared. It is said to reflect the discussions had with councillors. I must have been away that day.

First, and most importantly, we need to have a landscape strategy that is based upon the principles of landscape planning. You see this problem reflected in the "living" experience idea that has you living where you house is. Actually, it is the landscape that first determines where you are - look outside and you might notice some hills and perhaps the sea.

Second, we need to privilege the householders that we have at present first and then new householders.

Third, the need for another plan between this one (which is still not extant) and the LTCCP devastates me.

Forth, the idea of privileging business developers is dated, and if not pointless actually counter productive.

Fifth, the green ambiance of the city which many love is relegated to a minor priority.

Sixth, we are still at the point of developing the objectives for developing the framework. Once that is done and we have the framework we can develop the objectives for the District Plan.Then we can develop the rules for the objectives. You can see we are rushing ahead at breakneck speed.

Seventh the idea that carbon dioxide pollution is a problem now or in the future is absurd as the regional council has been saying for years (fortunately the wind blows like hell here, excuse the mixed metaphor).

Is there anything good it you ask, well there is:

First, the idea of a new urban greenfield development north of Plimmerton has merit. It can compete with the Aotea Block and there can be commercial / industrial development there (adjacent to what we have). It is said that this keeps the cost of infrastructure down, which I do not understand because I thought development levies paid for that.

Second, the development of more intensive life style blocks in the rural areas is a good idea. Productive farming is not the future of Porirua City. We need to provide for village centres for these initiatives, but that is a detail. We also need to note how this idea contrasts with the District Plan changes for wind farms.

There is a list of possible projects provided for green space and walkways. Why these have not become the basis of the whole document is beyond me, but it is these that reflect the values of the people of our city.
r
Saturday, August 25, 2007

best and worst councils

Watch for TV2 survey on Monday night at 8 pm

Notice how the councils that are most prudent are the most loathed.

our fitness centre

Council watchers will know that next week I chair the sub-committee that evaluates tenders regarding the Sports and Events Centre. The task is select from a short-list a potential operator for the fitness centre. The sub-committee will then be recommending to all the councillors, who will make the final decision. There are four commercial applications and the council itself is an applicant. Already steps have been taken to ensure that the process of judgment is fair and not influenced by the council being an applicant. I suppose I am the ideal chairperson. I could not care less who runs it, so long as the council gets a good return for its investment and the people of the city have a good facility with a moderate level of user-pays.
r
Saturday, August 25, 2007

PS

For those inclined to say the councillors do no work, let me just record that I expect the tender documents to take at least two hours to digest. Given that the meeting is the 30 August and the papers have not arrived as yet you might say I am "on alert". The workload of councillors continues as an issue. We have those who focus on meetings and do virtually no preparation, and then we have a small group being worked to death.

mayors in the making - has someone decided something about a dive proposal? first i know about it

Jenny
>> Why are you encouraging him? Regional Council have been granted dumping
> permits for five vessels including the Venture and plan to sink them in an
> approved dumping ground off Cape Palliser in the next few weeks. The harbour master has publicly stated that Regional council are not prepared to wait
> while groups complete paperwork for their proposals. They are eyesores.

I have spoken to Marco Zeeman re our discussions about the Venture as a dive wreck off Mana etc and he was disappointed of course but he still wanted to do a presentation to Council to the appropriate Committee meeting in September. He also asked me to pass on these images from the Frigate > > Wellington - they are impressive. Jenny

candidates being candidates

ROBERT COMMENTS

As the chairperson of a council committee I can assure you I am doing everything I can to maintain a good relationship with Transit and the other agencies involved in issues.

The council cannot see itself as being at war with anyone, and short term "victories" and accusations would be destructive of relationships and work against the interests of everyone in our city.

That does not mean that your council will not represent you in a forceful way, or be proactive, or determined. It is just that the Council has to build credibility and relationships in all its actions. We need both to succeed with real decisions.

Nor does it mean that I cannot understand the actions of council aspirants, I was one not so long ago!
r
Saturday, August 25, 2007

LETTER FROM TIM

Dear St Andrew’s Rd residents
Following our collective protests over the last week, Transit has now issued what seems to be an unconditional assurance that they (no longer) have any intention to raise the residential St Andrew’s Rd speed limit above 50kph. You will recall that following our first protest a week ago they would go no further than saying they would not raise the limit “before the review” – which clearly left us in a perilous position. Subsequent protests, including publicity in the DomPost and inquiries from KapiMana News, have led to Transit completely backing down and giving us the unconditional assurance we required. I see this as a binding commitment by Transit but I suggest we reiterate our very real safety concerns in the forthcoming review of the Mana Upgrade. FYI I append below my last strong message to Dr Blakeley, CEO of Porirua City Council, and yesterday’s response from Transit NZ.
Regards Tim Sheppard

order on ballot paper

ROBERT COMMENTS

This is bound to upset some candidates. Many people think there is a clear advantage to being on the top of the list. It is certainly a psychological boost at a critical time.

STATEMENT ISSUED

The candidates will be listed in the following order on the voting documents, ie pseudo random order.

Mayor
BRASH Jenny
KATENE Selwyn
KELLY Liz
SHAW Robert Keith
GRAY Piripi

Northern Ward - 5 Councillors
SHEPPARD Tim
LEGGETT Nick
GREEN John
GILLON Maureen
MURRELL Euon
KATENE Selwyn
SHAW Robert Keith
DOW Sue
MARTIN Keryn

Eastern Ward - 5 Councillors
LATHAM Denys
AH HOI Litea
MOSES Chris
FAGALOA Taima
EDWARDS Ray
MANU Tim
RANGI Rob
MATENGA Hemi

Western Ward - 3 Councillors
DOUGLAS Ken
DOW Sarah
BURGESS Maria
LAVERY Bud
SMITH Henry
EBBETT Graeme
KELLY Liz

Porirua Community Trust - Ward 1 - 4 Members
RANGI Rob
BURKE John Brian
EBBETT Graeme
FAGALOA Taima
LAVERY Bud
AH HOI Litea
STANLEY David
DOUGLAS Ken
DOW Sarah

Porirua Community Trust - Ward 2 - 2 Members
MARTIN Keryn
DOW Sue
SHEPPARD Tim
LEGGETT Nick

whitby residents' association

The Whitby Residents Association forgot to apply for their annual grant from council. It think they forgot for a couple of years but have acheived the latest grant. The sum is $250.00 per year. It is to cover the cost of their sending to the council regularly the minutes of all executive and public meetings. This became apparent in the AGM. Now they have asked for the money, but the rules specifically exclude restrospective payments. The officers will have to give the councillors advice on this matter and it will be decided at the council table.

BELOW IS A NOTE THE CEO RECENTLY SENT TO THE ASSOCIATION

Cr Robert Shaw, Chair of the City Services Committee has agreed to your request to appear as a deputation at the start of the City Services Committee at 1.30 pm on Thursday 13 September 2007. The Standing Orders 127 to 132 provide that a deputation may be introduced by one person for 1 minute and two people may speak each for 5 minutes-if you need that time. Elected members may ask questions but not debate issues with the deputation. There will be an item later on the agenda for the Committee to make a decision.

candidates

Porirua City Council 2007 Local Government Elections Nominations Received As at 12 noon Friday 24 August 2007, the final nominations for the Porirua City Council and Porirua Community Trust are as follows.

Mayor

BRASH Jenny

GRAY Piripi

KELLY Liz

KATENE Selwyn

SHAW Robert Keith

Northern Ward - 5 Councillors

DOW Sue GILLON Maureen GREEN John KATENE Selwyn LEGGETT Nick MARTIN Keryn MURRELL Euon SHAW Robert Keith SHEPPARD Tim

Eastern Ward - 5 Councillors

AH HOI Litea EDWARDS Ray FAGALOA Taima LATHAM Denys MANU Tim MATENGA Hemi MOSES Chris RANGI Rob

Western Ward - 3 Councillors

BURGESS Maria DOUGLAS Ken DOW Sarah EBBETT Graeme KELLY Liz LAVERY Bud SMITH Henry

Porirua Community Trust - Ward 1 - 4 Members

AH HOI Litea BURKE John Brian DOUGLAS Ken DOW Sarah EBBETT Graeme FAGALOA Taima LAVERY Bud RANGI Rob STANLEY David

Porirua Community Trust - Ward 2 - 2 Members

DOW Sue LEGGETT Nick MARTIN Keryn SHEPPARD Tim

they whip me when i do, and they whip me when i do not - district plan priorities

ROBERT COMMENTS

Fact is, there is sufficient concern about the priorities for the review of the District Plan to warrent the councillors expressing a view. This cannot happen without an notice of motion.
r
Monday, August 20, 2007

EXCHANGE READING BACKWARDS

Maureen your more intelligent than i will ever be, now and again sometimes those that get sucked into Robert's grandstanding tend to be followers rather than leaders.  Your more intelligent than that.
litea
----- Original Message ----- From: "Maureen Gillon" <mgillon@rnzcgp.org.nz>
To: "Litea.Mufasa" <Litea.Mufasa@xtra.co.nz>
Cc: <twaters@paradise.net.nz>; "JIm.Dearsly" <jim.dearsly@xtra.co.nz>; "Roger Blakeley - PCC" <RBlakeley@pcc.govt.nz>; <TAMNAGH@paradise.net.nz>; <suedow@paradise.net.nz>; <robert.shaw@paradise.net.nz>; "Rob Rangi" <rob.rangi@xtra.co.nz>; "Naureen Palmer (E-mail)" <naureenp@familystart-porirua.org.nz>; <marilyn.ken@xtra.co.nz>; <john.green@paradise.net.nz>; "Jenny Brash" <JBrash@pcc.govt.nz>; <twaters@paradise.net.nz>; <liz@kellyhygiene.co.nz>; "Euon Murrell" <murrells@xtra.co.nz>; <t.fagaloa@whitireia.ac.nz>; "Peter Bailey - PCC" <PBAILEY@pcc.govt.nz>; "Chris Linnell - PCC" <CLINNELL@pcc.govt.nz>; "Matt Trlin - PCC" <MTRLIN@pcc.govt.nz>; "Sue Veart - PCC" <SVeart@pcc.govt.nz>; "David Rolfe - PCC" <DRolfe@pcc.govt.nz>; "Tim & Lana Sheppard" <timandlana@xtra.co.nz>; "Glenys Greaves" <glenysgreaves@xtra.co.nz>; "Duncan McGregor" <joe.mcgregor@xtra.co.nz>; "Jeanette Wiggins" <wiggins.cccJ@xtra.co.nz>; "Lisa Webber" <lisawebber@clear.net.nz>; "Michael George" <mgeorge@clear.net.nz>; "Robin Gunston" <robing@busdevclub.co.nz>; "Trevor Roberts" <trevor.roberts@kielywgtn.co.nz>; "Trevor Roberts" <trevor.roberts@clear.net.nz>
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 9:04 AM
Subject: Re: Trees and environment and DUCK CREEK.

margo resigns : newtown called an "immaginative complex"?

ROBERT COMENTS

Well, we could name the new regional hospital after her. It could be called the main hospital. Actually, in my opinion, Kenepuru is the best hospital, a regional treasure. It is a relaxed, well functioning place where people are treated according to their need and the staff get on with it and work together. This sort of teamwork is may not survive.

The decision of the Health Board to move to the hub andspoke model still looks very foolish. It is inevitable that Kenepuru will - sooner or later - become the significant site for hospital services. It is all in the demographics.
r
Friday, August 17, 2007

HEALTH BOARD STATEMENT

The Chief Executive of Capital & Coast District Health Board has announced her decision to move on.

Margot Mains, the longest serving chief executive in the state health sector, has announced her resignation, effective from February 2008.The Chair of C&C DHB, Judith Aitken, says Margot Mains has been a skilled and energetic leader throughout her eight years as Chief Executive.

“We will miss the flair Margot has brought to the role since 1999, during a dynamic and challenging period. “At the same time we respect her decision to move on with her long and highly regarded career. Margot has demonstrated her professionalism by allowing us an extended six month notice period, which will help us ensure a smooth transition, ” Dr Aitken says.“Before we commence the process of appointing a new CEO, the Board records its appreciation of the significant contribution Margot Mains has made, not only to this DHB but also for the health sector as a whole. “Margot has worked in the health sector for more than 30 years, starting as a very capable nurse and progressing to the top-tier management roles she has held over the past 17 years.“That’s a huge commitment of time and energy. From a personal perspective she has decided that it is time for a change of scene.”

Dr Aitken says Margot Mains has been responsible for many crucial developments, both in this region and nationally. “She has also actively contributed to numerous Australasian initiatives aimed at improving the health of all those people who rely on our services, and improving the welfare and confidence of health workers at all levels.“She is highly regarded by her professional peers, and has made valuable contributions in a wide range of fields including the development of reliable benchmarks and practical standards to guide and inform policy makers and boards.”

Dr Aitken says the departing Chief Executive has actively supported the wellbeing of Maori and Pacific communities. “She has done that through her vitality, and her unwavering commitment to the health of New Zealanders, and the importance of maintaining, restoring and nourishing the wellbeing of communities which are most vulnerable.”“The fact that C&C DHB has such an effective relationship with our Maori Partnership Board is due in no small measure to Margot’s determination to forge strong links across various iwi and whanau interest groups.”

“Perhaps the most enduring physical tribute to Margot’s work is already becoming visible, as the new regional tertiary hospital in Newtown approaches the final year of construction. “Preparing the business case for our three-site hospital service in Kapiti, Porirua and Wellington was a long and extremely complex endeavour, which could have faltered without the personal stamina and drive Margot brought to this project.“When the whole imaginative complex is completed the Board will want to ensure that Margot Mains’ name is high on the list of champions who have created this hospital. It will be a national icon, a safe place for people seeking compassionate help and skilled care, and a modern well-equipped workplace for all of those who work in and visit our hospitals.”

“Margot Mains has an enormous amount to offer, to both the health system and in other areas of public policy and service delivery. That was amply demonstrated during her tenure as Chief Executive for our DHB. It has been a pleasure to work alongside her for the good of this district, and we wish her all the best for the future” Dr Aitken says.

Background

The following outlines Margot Mains’ contribution at CEO level in public health services, both at C&C DHB and elsewhere, and also her previous health background: 1999 - (2008), Chief Executive Officer, Capital & Coast DHB 1993 - 1999, Chief Executive Officer, MidCentral Health Limited 1992 - 1993, Acting General Manager, Manawatu-Wanganui Area Health Board 1990 - 1992, Assistant General Manager, Community Services, Manawatu- Wanganui Area Health Board 1987 - 1990, Wanganui Area Health Board Manager, Community Health Services Director, Rural & Community Nursing Services Acting Chief Nursing Officer & Deputy Chief Nurse, Director of Rural & Community Nursing Services Acting Supervisor, Nursing Education Department Charge Nurse, Inservice Education 1986 - 1987, Tutor (Nurse), Parumoana Community College 1982 - 1986, Nurse Tutor, Taranaki Polytechnic 1982 - 1982, Nurse Tutor, Wanganui Hospital Board 1975 - 1982, Otago Hospital Board Charge Nurse, Community Health Nursing Service Staff Nurse Student Nurse Hospital Aid 1973 - 1974, Hospital Aid, Wanganui Hospital Board

pauatahanui agm

It was a pleasure to attend the AGM of the Pauatahanui Residents' Association. There was a high level of discussion, led by Cr Ken Douglass who gave an excellent address on the philosophy around the amalgamation of councils issue.

The business part of the meeting was well managed, and mercifully brief. The same executive was returned, bar one, with the addition of three new members. Lynettee Wharfe is again the chair person, and Donald Love retires. Donald has been an important voice for reason in the Association. I well remember that in the last round of consultation on the Annual Plan he was the only one to say that the sums of money were so small that it was hardly worth consulting on them. This in my opinion was the most important point to make.

The media attended in the form of the Kapi Mana News so there should be a report of proceedings there. The association, which is an incorporated society, has a healthy bank balance. Membership subscription stays at $20, and this is excellent value for money for those in Pauatahanui.

Winnie Laban was thanked for her part in the move at Parliament to vest the Pauatahanui Burial Ground in the Porirua City Council. She spoke well about that exercise. This action has been a considerable success for the PRA.

Public concern about the wind farm proposal, roading, the inlet, and the District Plan review was expressed. There are several things that concern me about the wind farm work being done by the Council and I will follow up on these with Council officers.

Regarding the wind farm issue: we still have to address the fundamental issue - should we make provision for wind farms in our District Plan, or should we simply say that if anyone wants a wind farm it must be done by way a of a Plan Change? We could set some rules about Plan Changes for wind farms and thus give ourselves the maximum flexibility needed, and some welcome breathing space.

No-one seems to have considered this, instead it is assumed that we must do what the other councils have done (known in the misleading jargon as "best practice") and provide a full set of policies and rules for wind farms in our District Plan. In fact our wind farm is to be unique in NZ because of its being largely in a small urban city. It is inevitable that the policies and rules set like this will be controversial, and unsatisfactory. That is not a criticism of the Council, but a comment about the nature of policy making and rules in these circumstance.

I am very much of the view that any windfarm in the city should be on its own special zone. That would enable the Council to set a special level of rates for the zone (although the rates for windfarms could probably be set uniquely anyway - withness the rates concession PCC gives to that growth industry - residental homes), and special management provisions. This approach would give us much better ongoing control of the situation. One of the major problems with the District Plan is that it is set in concrete. This does give people some assurance as they invest, but it gives us little scope to adjust when things are found to be not as we thought.

According to the Council officers who spoke, everything about the District Plan will be explained and sorted in a public consultation exercise starting about the same time as the local government elections. The Council needs to plan this very carefully. At the moment it appears to several people who spoke to me that the exercise seems to be an action between the officers of the Council and selected residents. There is also a high level of distrust regarding the regional council.

I was surprised to find myself asked about a BECCA document that was provided to councllor's for discussion and totally rejected, by myself and other councillors who have discussed it, and then subsequently made available to the public. Normally, the councillors have an input, if not the decision, about discussion documents (witness the car parking in the CBD issue, recently). This would seem appropriate in the case of the District Plan work which I regard as policy/governance as opposed to management. There is no reason why management cannot consult with the community themselves when the matter is "within budget" and within their delegation, and what we might term operational.

In summary, well done the committee and the Pauatahanui community.
r

notice of motion on district plan

I have lodged a Notice of Motion to have the Council consider the concerns of the public regarding the reform of the Porirua City District Plan. The intention is to give councillors a chance to set out their concerns on the priorities for reform and the pace of reform. As both of these matters were established by Council decision, it they can only be altered by Council decision.
r
Thursday, August 16, 2007

COPY OF NOTICE OF MOTION

To the Chief Executive
Porirua City Council

At the FULL COUNCIL meeting being held on
NEXT WEDNESDAY 22 AUGUST, I propose to move the following motion:

FINE TUNING THE DISTRICT PLAN REVIEW

That the Porirua City Council:

a) Notes ongoing concern by Northern Ward residents regarding the Review of the District Plan.

b) Declares that it is desirable that the review of the suburban zone be given greater priority than previously indicated.

c) Requests that officers provide a list that shows the target dates on which specific alternations to the District Plan will be publicly notified.

Signed:

comments on the item IMMEDIATELY below

COUNCILLOR TRACY WATERS - it is greed

JIM DEARSLY

Dear Roger and Maureen

If my initial response to your full explanation for inaction was considered intemperate and "unfair", may I claim extreme frustration as the cause. We have been exchanging such communications now for years (six at least) yet still no progress is made on the Duck Creek issue. Trevor has explained with somewhat more patience our ongoing concern with a DP that has totally failed Whitby.

May I merely say this. When Whitby was transferred to the jurisdiction of PCC, it was considered to be a development of world class and an international award winner. There was then a Village Plan that would still stand the test of time. It provided some certainty to the residents about how the subdivision would develop and therefore safeguarded their outlook and investment. Under PCC's stewardship that Village Plan has been lost. For years now we have been asking for the inadequate DP to be amended to bring back some stronger protection for Whitby residents. Porirua City Council at governance and management levels can take no pride in its service to the people of Whitby. We continue to be let down time and again. The Council is long on explanations of the reasons why nothing can be done but very short on actions to do anything about it. A few harsh words from me may seem unfair to you but nothing compared with unfairness of Council's neglect of its moral duty to Whitby residents. I promise you this Roger, I will stop being "unfair" when you start to take action.

Maureen, I am at a loss to know how I should respond to your email but I will try.

I remind you that, in respect to Duck Creek, there are only two agencies with the power or the authority to negotiate. They are the Council with regulatory power and the mandate to serve the people and safeguard the environment, and the landowner with the rights afforded him in law. As a residents' association, we can only state our position and seek redress. Both council and the landowner can (and do) disregard our concerns and we can do nothing about it. That is the root of our frustration.

Duck Creek was described by the original developers as "the backbone of Whitby". It runs right through the middle of the suburb dividing east from west sides. It is pivotal in the development of a comprehensive village plan.

Three years ago Council initiated a "Charrette" to look at Duck Creek. It was a welcome initiative that brought all interests together for three days and some progress was made in negotiating an acceptable compromise outline development plan. You are well aware of the outcome and it was not WRA that withdrew from the process. Don't suggest we have not invested a huge amount in developing a village plan. We have been trying to sort out this key area for six or seven years. An enormous amount of time and effort has been invested by the WRA over that period. If we are now behind other villages it is not for want of our efforts but because we are stalled by the unwillingness of Council to grasp the nettle and see the matter of Duck Creek resolved.

How on earth can you suggest that WRA should somehow pick up the pieces and try to move forward in a sort of "good will" bargaining negotiation when it has no mandate or resources to do so? This issue clearly still lies in Council's court with an uncompleted charrette gathering dust in PCC's archives.

The real problem is still Council's failure to recognise that Whitby residents have a case to be answered and the failure by Councillors and Officers to really address the issues. Council has the authority to move forward on the issue if it really wanted to. Trying to throw it back at the WRA is just a monumental cop out.

I would have more respect for your position if you undertook to investigate the history of this vexing issue yourself and moved to have council look at how it can resolve the matter. WRA would certainly be a proactive participant in such a process (as we have been before).

I'm sorry Maureen but your advice is without substance or value and does you no credit. You really have to come up with something better than that after six years.

Regards
Jim

district plan progress

Jim and Trevor.

Jim: I thought your comments in your email of 8 August below were unfair to put it mildly. With respect, may I remind you:

1. That the trees in question are on private property and the landowner has property rights in law.

2. That the trees in question are not in the Whitby Landscape Protection Area or listed for protection as individual trees or a group of trees in the Heritage Register in the District Plan. 3. That you evaded the point in my email that the recent Heritage Review consultation included the Whitby Residents' Association and no nominations were received from you for trees in the former Whitby Golf Course site. I am advised you were emailed a number of times by our consultant regarding the Heritage Review. I understand the question that is being asked is " what is PCC able to do to stop or limit environmental destruction, even if it is on private land? " .. I think that is a reasonable question and, regardless of the legal position, I will discuss this directly with the landowner in terms of his obligations as a corporate citizen in our community. The issue that you both are raising is the review of the District Plan, and the scope and timing of that. It may be helpful for me to repeat the advice (updated in places) that Whitby Residents' Association was given after your submission on the 2007/08 Draft Annual Plan , because it does not appear to be acknowledged in either of your emails. The following, is the programme for the Review of the District Plan as resolved by Council. Council has already allocated significant additional resources within its LTCCP and annual plan to the District Plan rolling review programme, and related programmes for heritage and harbour and catchment work. Council has also provided a significant commitment to resourcing related village planning and implementation work. You should be aware that there is a current scarcity of skills in environmental planning across the region which has made it difficult to recruit new staff. Council is also continuing its efforts to work with Whitby Coastal Estates on the future planning and development of the Duck Creek area. Within the existing resourcing, significant progress ie being made to comprehensively review the suburban zone section of the District Plan. Specifically it is noted that: § Porirua Development Framework: The development of a long term growth and development framework for Porirua City has made good progress. The framework once finalised will guide how and where the city should develop in the future (i.e. new Greenfield areas, rural lifestyle living areas, intensification areas etc). It will also guide related infrastructure and investment planning decisions of the Council. This work will set the long term development context for the city, defining the environment in which the District Plan is expected to operate. A 'think piece' on a conceptual development framework for the city will be produced in September 2007 for informal community discussion and feedback. Council will then prepare a draft development framework for formal consultation in December 2007. Any pre-framework review of key District Plan sections (i.e. the suburban zone) would slow the development framework programme, and require the review and possible change of any developed District Plan provisions. § Recreation and open space zone: Significant progress has been made in advancing the development of a new recreation and open space zone plan change which largely affects the suburban zone. A plan change is scheduled to be considered for notification by September 2007; § Heritage: The city's heritage management programme has been substantially advanced, with the development of an assessment method for identifying sites of heritage significance, the completion of a heritage feature nomination phase, and progress on assessment of nominated items. It is noted that most heritage sites exist within the current suburban zone. A management strategy will be prepared in 2007/08 along with a proposed plan change. The existing heritage programme is an integral part of the suburban zone review exercise - providing for the identification and management of sites and places of cultural, historic and natural heritage significance (i.e. ecological sites) to the community; § Porirua Harbour and catchment management programme: A comprehensive Porirua Harbour and catchment management programme has been approved by Council and will commence in 2007/08. This will, amongst other matters, work alongside GWRC and Wellington City Council and other key agencies such as DoC to review issues relating to stormwater management and sediment and erosion control. The programme is likely to lead to recommended short and long term enhancements to earthwork and stormwater management practices and systems. It is also likely to reinforce heritage programme recommendations relating to the management of ecological sites. In addition to the above, the following work is planned and resourced for 2007/08: § Suburban Zone: Following the completion of the Porirua Development Framework, key discussion documents and community consultation will occur around issues of medium density development, urban design guidelines, infill development etc; § Rural Review: Proposed plan change work for wind farm developments will be advanced, along with the development of materials and studies required to support a rural review plan change. Specific focus areas for work will include: landscape management, rural lifestyle development, urban growth, and village planning work for Pauatahanui Village. § Network utilities: A planned review of network utility provisions will occur. This will respond to issues requiring smarter district plan management provisions to deal with new network utility services (e.g. changes and growth in mobile telecommunication networks) and community expectations relating to the quality of suburban environments. You will note that many of the issues set out in your emails are already covered in the programme for review of the District Plan as resolved by Council, and as previously advised to the Whitby Residents' Association. My staff are focused on delivering what Council has resolved to do. It is the prerogative of the elected Council to set priorities. We are close to the end of the Triennium and we are focused on delivery of the programme set by the current Council. No doubt an incoming Council after the October Local Government election will want to be briefed on progress on the District Plan Review, and any issues arising from the programme, and give direction on the ongoing priorities, resourcing and timetable of the Review. I regret that this email is so long, but it seemed clear from your emails that it would be helpful to set out the programme of work approved by Council on the District Plan Review. I am copying this email to all elected members of PCC so that they can see your emails and my response. Regards, Roger Roger Blakeley Chief Executive Porirua City Council

jim dearsly asks questions - some quickthoughts to start the discussion

Questions for Candidates from Jim on behalf of the WRA:

Q1. Are you prepared to do your utmost to contain overall residential rates to no more than the rate of inflation by allowing overall revenue increases beyond that to be covered by growth in the rating base (this being a limit not a target)?

Answer:

Council must re-structure the way it goes about making its budget decisions. The approach used up to now is to compile a "wish list", select projects, and add up the cost to ratepayers.

There is a three stage process now proposed. This was discussed and agreed by the councillors at their workshop. However, I notice now the mayor and some councillors do not appear to support the new approach. It is quite likely we will slip back into our old ways.

Instead of building in a decision-making mechanism that will contain rates, the officers are now likely to support a "zero based budgeting" approach. This has the advantage that every category of expenditure is considered, but the disadvantage that it does not make spending containment a possible priority.

Q2. Will you promote the immediate use of current mechanisms available to you to reduce the influence of property value on rates by:

Increasing user charges for Council services including cultural, recreational and sporting facility use and services, as well as recovering the full cost of regulatory and professional services?

Answer: No. Nor would anyone! Put up the price of the swimming pool and the library and people will not use them. The tip charges are as high as we can hold them without major problems. The sports clubs already are being hit by some of the highest charges in the Wellington region and parents are not supporting sports clubs as they used to. Councils by law are obliged to set out the reasoning that they apply in setting the balance between user pays and the public good component of services.

Consideration was given to pay-loos as per the Taupo model that people know well. The advice given was that no one in Poriura would actually pay, and that people would prefer to use the bushes or go to the pub. I have no idea what the truth of the matter is.

Significantly increasing the Uniform Annual General Charge from its current low percentage level to the legally permitted level?

Answer:

In the past I have supported this direction of movement, however the augment is unlikely to be won by vote at the council table, given the representation of the Council.

The District Plan, and the suburban section in particular, has caused and is causing considerable problems for the residential community. The Suburban section review is currently the lowest priority.

Q3. Will you promote some urgent amendments to deal with the main issues? (Duck Creek flood plane management and protection of visual urban environment) [Whitby has been seeking action for six years or more.]

Answer:

I invented the idea of a rolling review of the District Plan. The plan was to wait until Council was required by law to review the DP and then work on it. Personally, I regard this as one of my greatest successes on the Council. There is now a priority setting process each year to determine priorities.

The village strategy has been strongly supported by the community and seen as more beneficial than some central city projects and expenditure.

Answer:

I invented the idea of a budget category "Village Strategy" that provides $1 million a year for "bottom up" decision making in the suburbs. The original idea was to have it featured in the Long Term Council Community Plan, and this to give a reality to the word "Council" in the Plan. I still think that there should be a specific section on the LTCCP to set out the rules for decision making around this money. Whether the amount goes up or down is a decision to be taken by the Council in the context of the re-work of the LTCCP. It is correct that this is a mechanism to balance the spending between the suburbs and the city centre. Also, it is always important to remember that the villages money is not the only money spent in the suburbs.

Q4. How do you see council building on this policy? Do you see the process being accelerated? How will you contain the cost of the city revitalisation? Where do your priorities lie?

Answer:

In addition to the comment above, please note that ignoring the city centre is not an option. At the moment, with a few exceptions, there is not adequate funding in the LTCCP for the city centre. Like all Council decision-making, there has to be compromises struck. There is also the important perspective that says everyone should have their place in the sun without having to wait forever!

The LGA 2002 requires councils to make themselves aware of community views. Unfortunately there is concern at the lack of meaningful engagement on major issues.

Q5 Will you do your utmost to engage fully with the community and use residents’ associations as a prime contact points? How do you see this being achieved?

Answer:

There are two parts to this question. Of course everyone will do their utmost to engage the RAs. Well I remember working on the policy to have them funded. The effect of this is to formally bring them into the loop and to require that they provide certain information to the Council.

The idea of having the RAs as the "prime" contact points is something else again. What does "prime" mean? It does not mean only, and issue by issue it is hard to say that the RAs are always more important than others. I have always tried to have the churches make submission to the Council. They are significant groups in our City, but their voice is little heard.

If you have any formal allegiance to a political party or interest group, how will you balance this with your duty to the electorate as a whole?

Answer:

I do not have any "formal allegiance" although I stood for Parliament for the Green Party once. They needed a candidate in Mana!

Auckland is now to have a Royal Commission looking at their Local Government structure. In comparison Wellington is even more subdivided in relation to its population.

Q6. Will you promote study and discussion of this matter within the Region? Do you believe we should follow in the same path as Auckland? Where do you stand on this issue?

There is no issue at this moment. Few people grasp the complexity of the issues and so a study would be worthwhile, even if there is no re-structure. The most important issue in this area is the embedding of the regional economic strategy under Greater Wellington the Regional Council. We are incredibly fortunate that Sir John has agreed to become involved in this matter.

Expenditure on the Council itself and leisure, sports and culture services is rising disproportionately and accounts for most our growing rates.

Q7. Would you seek to reverse this trend? Where do you believe cuts could be made?

Answer:

Council only has one indoor recreation facility, so it is difficult to see it "cut". We are responsible for the provision of a range of recreation opportunities and without that facility we would be failing in our duty to 50,000 people.

Historically, Porirua City has under-expended in the area of recreation. This continues to be the case.

health meeting

Some good points were made at the meeting chaired by Jenny Brash and it is generally thought that the Health Board went away to have a rethink.

I do not think the community is clear about what has and will be lost from Kenepuru. For example, the seven observation beds that were such a feature of the restructure, are now about to be disestablished.

In the meantime, we have School of Medicine report into nursing turnover at CCDHB. Their recommendations are what we know and the Board seems unable to comprehend:

Recommendations for nurse staffing policy:

1. There is a misperception of nurses as a resource that is easily substituted for and replaced. This study suggests that the supply of nurses cannot be assured. In the light of declining numbers of new graduate nurses entering the New Zealand market, the growing international shortages of nurses and increased demand for nursing services, retention strategies are required. The need for effective retention strategies is especially urgent in view of findings that leaving nurses are being replaced predominantly by inexperienced nurses and overseas trained nurses.

2. A strategic approach to managing the nursing resource is urgently required. Monitoring indicators including vacancy rates, time to fill vacancies, use of temporary cover, and data from exit interviews are a necessary basis for strategy development. Data on seasonal peaks of turnover and replacement times will enable proactive management, e.g. recruitment in anticipation of vacancies.

3. A strategic approach would focus on the two greatest drivers of cost: cost of temporary cover to meet day to day demands for nursing services, and costs related to achieving full productivity of joining nurses. As such, a strategy that considers only the marginal costs related to termination and recruitment/hiring related to turnover will be ineffective. A strategic approach that considers adequacy of nurse staffing, rostering and work flexibility for nurses, attends to specific issues affecting nurses (shift work and child care for example).

4. Data on the relative costs of hiring categories of nurse, reflecting mainly productivity costs, can be used to inform decisions on nursing recruitment. There are three clear considerations.

First, new graduates, though at first high in productivity related costs, showed a rapid reduction in those costs over the short period of 6 months when they were transferred to another ward. A new graduate programme that does not include rotations would largely eliminate almost $3,000 in turnover costs per nurse.

Secondly, in view of costs for experienced overseas trained nurses being almost two thirds higher than those for New Zealand trained nurses, investing in retention strategies rather than depending on overseas recruitment (both active and passive) would result in savings.

And third, retention can be supported by the introduction of flexible arrangements such as sabbaticals, job sharing and family-friendly practices aimed at retaining valued nurses who need or wish to take short absences."

wind farm - should not be called a "farm"

Here is the current official update from the Porirua City Council:

Mike and Diane,

I have received a copy of your email that was sent to some Porirua City Council Councillors. At this stage I can inform you that no resource consent application has been received for the Puketiro proposal.

Porirua City Council have been advised by the applicant company RES New Zealand that they are likely to submit a resource consent application for the wind farm some time in February next year. RES have begun public consultation and have advised that there is potential for up to 50 (up to 3MW) turbines. At this stage the final number and location of turbines has not been confirmed as RES wanted to begin consultation before making any hard and fast decisions. RES have advised that they will soon be carrying out detailed environmental impact assessments across the full range of environmental effects including visual impacts and noise and as a result of this work the proposal will be refined and firmed up prior to a further round of consultation.

The wind farm will be partially on Greater Wellington Regional Council owned land and partially on private land and partially within Porirua City boundary and partially in Upper Hutt City boundary. RES are yet to confirm how many turbines are likely to be in each Council area or what the Greater Wellington Regional Council / private land split will be.

At this stage in terms of the question of how this matter is going to be handled by PCC, most decisions are yet to be made. However, there is no question that the application will be publicly notified. It would seem sensible that Porirua City and Upper Hutt City pool resources in terms of the assessment of the application for the Public Hearing but no decisions have been made yet.

It is likely that the wind farm will also need a resource consent from Greater Wellington Regional Council but given that it is going to be partially on their land it is as yet very uncertain how their reporting and consent assessment would be incorporated into any resource consent hearing.

Given that a significant proportion of the wind farm is likely to be on Greater Wellington Regional Council owned land they are perhaps a useful entity for those who wish to lobby before the hearing as they have a right of veto as the land owner.

The roles of PCC and UHCC are very different from that of a landowner as we have a statutory responsibility to consider the proposal under the provisions of the RMA which is ultimately reviewable by the Environment Court.

Porirua City Council Strategy and Planning staff are working on a proposed District Plan change for windfarms but there is uncertainty about when this can be introduced and at what stage in the adoption of that plan change any application from RES New Zealand is received. The amount of weighting given to any plan change will be relevant to the date that an application is received and when the resource consents team start processing the application.

I hope that you find this information helpful.

 Regards, Roger

Roger Blakeley
Chief Executive
Porirua City Council

how do you get a council to change direction????

A major problem for our Council is its inability to change direction. The District Plan work is a good example. We thought we had a clear direction and increased funding for thework, and now we find the same problems confront us in the same way. Very frustrating.

Consider this different example: the mayors' taskforce on unemployment is working great guns, and we just a few weeks ago set new targets for the chief executive in his contract regarding the fight against unemployment. Wonder ful. Except that the need for local govenrment to be in the forefront of the fight against unemplyment died at least five years ago.

Read this extract below and weap. Weap because the ratepayers are paying for a chief executive and his staff to work on a problem that no longer exists. Weap because reports are being written on this whilst other things need more work.

I am tired of saying the same things regarding the managment of the ceo. Tiny adjustments are made when I speak, but the problems come back into the foreground days later. The mayor wanted me to attend the workshop this week on the ceo's contract. No way - I do not want to repeat myself again to no avial. My views are clear: ditch the expensive consultant, tighten the contract itself, make the ceo responsible for three or four specific "big asks".
r

UNEMPLOYMENT - THANKS TO BLOOMBERG

New Zealand's jobless rate fell to an all-time low in the second quarter, adding to inflation pressure and increasing the prospect the central bank will keep interest rates at a record high until at least June next year. The jobless rate dropped to 3.6 percent from a revised 3.7 percent in the first quarter, seasonally adjusted, Statistics New Zealand said in Wellington today.

district plan history - i re-run earlier statements

SHAW THING: PORIRUA NEWS

PORIURA CITY'S DISTRICT PLAN

The day you buy your first house is the day you become involved with the District Plan. The Plan sets out the rules for you and your neighbours. It is a book 2 inches thick and over a decade old.

People say the Resource Management Act is a dog. But, usually it is the District Plan that has upset them. The Act is pretty neutral – it says the councils must write Plans and it says how decisions are to be made once the Plans are written.

As a councillor I sometimes sit down with unhappy – occasionally shocked - property owners and try to help them with District Plan issues.

For years I have wanted to change the District Plan. It is a simple exercise because the law sets out the steps. At the moment the developers of the Aotea Block are changing the District Plan for their own convenience.

Council officers have a list of minor changes they want us to consider: hide power lines, control hazards, protect heritage sties, clarify rules, fix contaminated sites, establish the rights of neighbours, adjust water levies, protect trees, and better manage signs.

But the plan to make small changes year-after-year is not acceptable. It misses the point – the whole philosophy of the Plan is wrong. We need a new approach, not simply to address an ever growing list of small amendments.

The big hill top subdivisions can be done without regard to the rest of us, because the Plan allows them. We do not protect landscape.

To rewrite the Plan we need $300,000 in the budget for the next two years – it is urgent and vital if we are to protect our quality of life and add value to properties!

Council should stop wasting money on plans that are for “guidance” and change the rules that bind. The village strategy work, like the rural review, has become an industry – we plan to do plans to have plans: the Long-term Plan says we are going to spend money on village plans and these will decide if we will change the District Plan.

August 12, 2005:

GET QUACKING AT DUCK CREEK

I am asked "what should be done re Duck Creek"? The problem is that there are two different actions being confused.

Project A: Whitby Coastal Estates must apply to the Council for whatever consents or approvals they need to do what they want. The legal processes will operate, decisions will be made in accordance with existing rules, the legal timeframe will apply, and if anyone is not satisfied there will be mediations and appeals. Possible land swaps and the development of new reserves could become a part of this project. Until an application is made we should not shadowbox. Councillor Sue Dow is the chairperson responsible for deciding who will hear any applications.

Project B: Council changes its District Plan to better produce the kind of City we all want. This, in my opinion, means establishing a greater level of protection for existing residents and more green areas. We want to produce the most open, comfortable, and high value land in the world. This project relates to the whole City and I would need some persuading that special arrangements should be made for Duck Creek (although that is possible, witness the Aotea Block). Councillor David Stanley is the chairperson responsible for driving this project. More on who is responsible>
August 12, 2005

whitby trees cut

tim on lim

Candidate Tim, the one at the rear.

He writes:

Robert, I fear you’ve got the wrong end of the stick!

Rather than saying that Porirua residents still get cheaper LIM reports than those in neighbouring districts, I’d say that in Porirua everyone is heavily subsidising the costs involved through our general rates.

The report to Council said that on average all the new Building Act and Resource Management Act fees reflected a general ratepayer subsidy of about 50%. In other words, we’re all heavily subsidising the Council costs whenever a neighbour wants to renovate their house (requiring a building permit), or add an extension (requiring a resource consent), or buy a new property (and wanting a LIM report). I suggest the element of “public good” in any of these things is far, far lower than the “private gain” and I oppose the ongoing huge subsidies coming from everybody’s general rates.

Needless to say nobody in Council has been able to explain to me why on earth we must subsidise these things so much more than neighbouring councils. There is clearly no greater “public good” element in Porirua than there is in Wellington, the Hutt or Kapiti, where the user charge levels are considerably higher - and the general ratepayer subsidy accordingly considerably lower.

Recently PCC followed the lead of our community Steering Group on Rates Reform and made a submission to the Shand Inquiry acknowledging the gross “distributional inequity” of the property rating system. Any major change by Government will inevitably take a long time to happen but in the meantime I believe there are many things PCC can do itself to alleviate the local rates problems. One of them is to stop simply lumbering any and all costs onto our general rates. Instead we must have greater transparency of costs, with specific charges recovering more actual costs rather than ever-increasing cross-subsidisation paid for by the general ratepayer.

For that reason I am disappointed that Council didn’t take the opportunity, in setting new fees under the Building Act and RMA, to reduce the level of public subsidy for what are essentially private gain activities.
Regards Tim Sheppard

SUPPORT FROM BARRY COOK

Absolutely Tim, but in addition all water should be metered and not come out of the general rates. I agree there is too much cross subsidisation lumped in under the general charge. Barry Cook 

ROBERT COMMENTS

This refers to an earlier statement I made on the blog. There are now several issues being raised and I agree with several of the points made. My specific concern is with the LIM and the desirability that purchasers of houses have good consumer information. Many say consumer information should be free. However, in this case a fee is reasonable.

To look at it the other way: The gains are not all private. The problems with buildings and land are expensive for everyone and the council is frequently the lead payer in these matters. Witness how the leaky home business involves costs to the general ratepayer.

There is good transparency of costs these days, although I agree it is something everyone needs to keep a close eye on.
r

10 hagley street council purchase

Recently the Council purchased the land at 10 Hagley Street, presently occupied by the Challenge service station, with $2.5 million of loan funds. The council has as yet unspecified use for the land purchased.

A bit of background regarding this site purchase:

While the MoW was heavily engaged in laying out the Porirua Town Centre in the 1950/60s, the Porirua Licensing Trust approached Ian Dudding of the MOW who had overall responsibility for land allocations in the new town centre. 

When the trust came into being in 1956 there was no land available in Porirua designated for licensed premises except the temporary bottle store at 66 Main Road. Hence the trust’s effort to correct that situation when the new Town Centre was being laid out and allocations made.

As an outcome Lot 7 DP 25772 of 8000sqm across the way from Cobham Court was allocated to the PLT which entered into a deferred payment licence with the Commissioner of Crown Lands for its purchase at £44,500 on 1st August 1964. In today's dollars that sum is close to $1,460,000.

The total site was subsequently developed as the Blue Heron Motor Hotel by the PLT early 1972.

In 1997, twenty-five years later, after several trust triennium of questionable management, it was decided to sell the property for other purposes to an undisclosed buyer.

Subsequently the PCC was approached by Tauranga-based private town planning company Alandale Group for RMA resource consent in favour of Fletcher Challenge Energy, who intended to erect a service station and associated facilities on about 60% of the former site.

The resource application was non-notified except to a limited number of land holders/occupiers in and around Cobham Court. The community at large had no say over the possibility of a service station being erected in the city centre except for a few who had knowledge of what was happening and raised objection through the media and to the ombudsman. The Titahi Bay Residents’ Assn and individual members were heavily involved..

The then editor of Kapi-Mana News came out with an editorial statement "We need another service station like a hole in the head" in the issue of 25 November 1997.

In spite of protests the PCC said the application complied with the Porirua District Plan. Some plan!

Some of the PCC councillors, including the mayor at the time, were also on the PLT and had a vote in both places.

So you can see the PCC has been author of its own present situation and has ended up paying $2.5m for 60 percent of the original site which has a rateable land value of $1,425,000.

John Watson

cost of a lim report

Council has now completed the review of all fees charged under the Building Act. Dull stuff you might think, but it is important that the balance of user pays and ratepayer funding is reasonable.

In Porirua City that balance is between 52% and 72% in favour of the ratepayers. There are specific variations to take account of particular needs.

One fee that caused discussion was the Land Information Memorandum. This was challenged by the Plimmerton Residents' Association who argued that the ratepayers subsidy should be less than it is. In the event, the Council confirmed the decision that it has made year-after-year. That is to keep the LIM fee low and to thus encourage people buying property to get LIM reports. No one is forced to get a LIM report, however it does provide a form of assurance at a time when leaky buildings and bad building practices have unsettled people.

The LIM report will still cost you $180 in Porirua, which is cheaper than elsewhere.
r

smartlinx 3

I can report that in the publicly excluded part of the last meeting of the Strategy Committee the annual accounts of our one company were reported. I cannot tell you much more because it is publicly excluded (heavens knows why when Telecom is obliged by law to publish their accounts). Needless to say, I will do an analysis of the accounts, although we are at this moment waiting for some updates.
r

why do we expect them to work?

Two organisations think they run the examination system in this country, the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualficaitons Authority.

Three organisations think they run hospitials an other health services, the District Health Boards, the Ministry of Health, and District Health Boards New Zealand (the taxpayer funded union of the Boards).

The only mystery is why anyone actually expects the systems to be managed sensibly or efficiently.
r
Tuesday, August 7, 2007

windfarms can devistate those around them

The land involved in this windfarm is under the control of Greater Wellington, the Regional Council and some is private land. PCC does not own any of the land involved.

Twice now GW has come to the Porirua City Council to keep people there informed on developments. Cr Chris Laidlaw is the chair of the relevant committee, the LandCare Committee, and he has personally visited us with a number of senior officials.

The inital proposal regarded the establishment of a right for wind turbines on GW land.

There were 1,300 submisisons on the issue in 2005 and Greater Wellington decided to have windfarms on the Puketiro Block. This is the land at the back of Battle Hill and it is mainly in Pinus radiata. (Hence, the ecological value is said to be minimal, see Jim's point below.)

On 4 December 2006, Greater Wellington awarded the development rights for a 90 MW wind farm to RES New Zealand Ltd (RES).

The second decision was more specific and the extent of the farm had been extended both with regard to the number of towers and their distribution. My understanding is that all this decison making was done by GW acting in their capacity as owners of the land. Also, there was consideration being given to non-GW land to extend the farm. Apparently, this is now included in the proposal and would be an arrangement between the land owners and the company.

At the second meeting where this was discussed at the PCC I rasied concerns about the impact on residents and what alternatives there were. I asked about the possiblity of having sea based wind generators - floating wind farms. Evidently, this option is precluded in our area because of the lack of infrastructure. This means there are not suitable vessels around to do the work. There are few alternative sites so attractive evidently - largely because the regional council owns the land and it is not a regional park. The strong argument offered that we must have this facilitiaty at all is that New Zealand needs the energy resources.

The other point that I made to GW was that as this facility was largely within the boundary of our City, and as the dis-benefits all fall to our people, it would be appropriate for GW to share the income from the project with PCC. That way the money from the sale of electricity could be used to ease the situation for those next to the wind farm. It is reasonable that GW derives income from the project, but how about we see the contracts and look at some equitable arrangement. I pointed out that the funding policy of GW had no problem with this concept when it came to making ratepayers pay for transport and flood management.

The extent of PCC involvement in the issue is probably two-fold: there may be resource consent hearings if the wind farm is in contradiction of the provisions of the District Plan. The Council has already expressed some concern about these rules and officers are working on them. The rules that apply will be those that are in place when the application is made. This is another example of the urgent need to modernise the Porirua City District Plan.

There will also be an advocacy role for the PCC. The Council will make a submission at the appropriate time and obviously there will be discussion about it.

One important aspect of this application from the City Council perspective is that windfarms are not something planned for in a wider context of landscape. Imagine the situation if we had three major farms - Battle Hill, Belmont, and Titahi Bay. At the moment each application would need to be considered separately and on its narrowly defined merits. The strategy work being done as an early step in the revision of the District Plan is to address this issue. Quicker the better, I say. It may already be too late.

Finally for the moment, the main concern of expressed by Porirua City people is about visual pollution. They will look awful. However, the District Plan does not provide much in the way of opportunities to have that considered. These matters are of major concern.

Comments on this issue are most welcome.

r
Saturday, August 4, 2007

RECENT DISCUSSION

Dear Mike and Diane

I total agree with your comments. The local people have just not woken up to the downside of a huge wind farm on our doorstep. I have to say that it disturbs me that our local politicians both city and regional have been silent on a proposal will totally change our unique and beautiful landscape.
I am not against wind power. It is clean and renewable but we have to be very careful where we site these huge structures as they are also an overpowering encroachment on our visual environment.

I did make a submission when the original proposal was put forward that said in so many words, how can we make decisions of this magnitude without a properly thought out national or regional energy plan. What we have is ad hoc decision making at its worst. I believe we will be generating power here to effectively find we are transmitting it to Auckland when they could just as easily generate the wind power there (it blows there as well). The whole thing is being driven by Regional Council (and one councillor in particular) that wants to be seen to be green. I believe the community is being led by the nose and will only wake up when we are confronted with these huge overpowering moving structures. It concerns me more when there is a ridge line further to the west that would be equally good and largely out of sight. That ridge is not in public ownership and therefore the Regional Council cannot get a payment from the supply company as it would from the Battle Hill/Pukehiro site. However, this should NOT be a major decision factor if the community has to live with the outcome forever more.

Our visual environment is something we should treasure and these wind turbines will pollute it 100 times more than building houses on ridges - something we try to avoid. This is an issue that needs some real leadership from our elected representatives and I suggest a rethink of the whole proposal is required and certainly a much deeper investigation of the adverse effects.

I have copied this to our Mayor and Northern Ward Councillors and our Regional Councillor (Margaret Shields) so you can make direct contact with them yourself. It is also copied to the Whitby RA Committee and Alan Gray of the Pauatahanui RA .
I hope  this email  will alert the above to something that is probably currently below the community's radar but is an issue that could have very severe consequences if left unaddressed.
So thanks to you both for raising this important issue.
Regards
Jim


----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike & Diane Strugnell" <strugnell@xtra.co.nz>
To: "Jim Dearsly" <jim.dearsly@xtra.co.nz>
Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2007 10:55 AM
Subject: Wind Farm

letter to dom post - political parties in local government

Clearly Clr Ken Douglas is no longer popular with the Porirua Labour Party Selection Committee (letter from Ken Douglas 28 July) and has failed to get its nomination for both Porirua City Council and the Mana Energy Trust. Why has this giant of the left been dumped? However, he is a fighter with many union battle honours behind him. He isn’t taking it lying down and is standing in opposition to the official party’s nominees as an “Independent Labour” candidate. How anyone can show such strong allegiance to a political party and claim to be independent is a mystery.

We actually don’t want councillors in Porirua who are beholden to any political party of whatever colour. Local authorities are not branch offices of central government and creating that relationship totally distorts local politics.

However, one thing is certain, he will split the labour party vote in his Ward. Hopefully, we will then get councillors who don’t look to the Beehive for directions but are truly independent and just seek to engage with the community for advice on policies that are best for the residents – something Clr Douglas is not renowned for.
Jim Dearsly
Whitby

kelly for mayor

Nice web site at http://www.lizkelly.co.nz/

Evidently, she has plenty of support, even a dog ...

Kelly Family

trees on private property, whitby

----- Original Message -----

From: JIm.Dearsly

To: Jenny Brash ; Roger Blakeley

Cc: Trevor Roberts ; Trevor Roberts ; Robin Gunston ; Michael George ; Lisa Webber ; Jeanette Wiggins ; Duncan McGregor ; Glenys Greaves ; Sue Dow ; Robert Shaw ; Maureen Gillon ; John Green ; Euon Murrell

Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 9:37 AM

Subject: Destruction of fine trees

Dear Mayor Jenny and Roger,

I was phoned this morning and informed that David Bradford is felling a line of plane trees at the back of Shackle Lane. I have since confirmed by going to see for myself

 

These are lovely trees in a line of about eight or nine trees. They must be 20m(+) high and in full leaf quite magnificent. Three now lie on the ground and the rest will follow soon.

In any other jurisdiction there would be severe restrictions (and penalties) on destroy such trees. What is PCC's position? Is this another example of the lack of community protection offered by our DP?

 

David Bradford has turned this "backbone of Whitby" into a wilderness area with his turfing activity, tree removal (often left on the ground for month), long grass, weeds and lack of maintenance of Duck Creek. It is a disgrace.

PCC is not without power. David Bradford has set himself against Whitby (that is part of Porirua). He has the power of a land owner. We want our Council to use its power to fight back on our behalf. Once again we see our developer friendly DP acting against the people who invested her (i.e. the residents).

Would you please advise on what we (you) can do about it or are we supposed to grin and bear it?

 

Regards

Jim Dearsly

Dear Mayor Brash,
I arrived home to my house yesterday afternoon and was horrified to look out and see that the very large stand of trees in front of us in Shackle Lane had begun to be felled. Whilst I appreciate that the land is now owned by Mr Bradford, ,the cutting of these trees appears to be particularly provocative and for no obvious purpose ,leaving our outlook now the hideous looking pump station and a run down storage shed used by the developer.

This piecemeal destruction of what was Duck Creek has no thought for the environment,ecology, existing residents or the planning of Whitby and appears to be carrying on unchecked. My family and I believe there needs to be urgent attention from council to what the developer is doing with what was a central feature of Whitby and is still critical to its future development and our village strategy. I await your comment.
Jeanette Wiggins
53 Shackle Lane

Dear Mayor Jenny and Roger,

In the light of previous emails it would be of interest to us to know how PCC interprets Sections C8.1.1 and C9.1.15 of the DP. Fine words of intent but somewhat hollow - like our trees! Regards Jim

northern ward candidates

Check out Tim Shepherd's website for his council bid. http://www.tim4porirua.co.nz/

Slogan is: “For a Fresh and Fairer Future"

His site is being produced by the Tawa firm MyURL. http://www.myurl.co.nz/webcopy.html who also did the St Mary's, Whitby Church Web Site http://www.stmary.org.nz/. Other candidates might like to use this firm, $300 base fee and $45 an hour thereafter.

Selwyn Katene is also a candiate the ward, for the Labour Party, but no web site as yet. Although his submission on the Foreshore and Sea Bed legislation is on the internet.

REPLY

Hi Robert

You’re right on the ball in noting my candidacy and my almost-ready website! But I note an unfortunate ambiguity when you say “Selwyn Katene is also a candidate for the Labour Party”. That could imply I am also a candidate for the Labour Party, which is not correct: I am standing as a staunch independent. I believe partisan politics, of whichever persuasion, are unhelpful in local government. My appreciation is that Party headquarters in Wellington or Auckland or wherever know little of our concerns in Porirua and that Party doctrine decreed from on high can be a hindrance in finding practical solutions to our local problems.

BTW I also endorse your recommendation of my website designer: he’s otherwise known as Rev Terry Alve of St Mary’s Church in Whitby!
Cheers
Tim Sheppard

parking issue

There are probably three main issues in this debate; the need, the nuisance factor and city benefit. The existing parks around the Plaza are getting in short supply.

Occasionally the parks between Westpac and ANZ Banks and the Council office are full as is the one at the upper level of the Plaza although fortunately not at the same time. The growth in demand is steadily increasing. More space will be needed sometime.

However a parking building would not seem to be justified especially as the city is not expected to have significant growth in the next few decades. Would a few more metres off the edge of TeRauparaha Park to allow for angle parking be too radical a suggestion? Pay parking is a nuisance. Apart from not having the right change, overstaying can incur a solid fine. City benefit is the critical one. Clearly other cities see a benefit in providing free parking eg Lower Hutt Mall and free parking in Wellington to encourage shopping at weekends.

All major shopping centres seem to provide free parking. Whether this is paid for by the developer and recouped in rents or provided by the local council I do not know but Porirua should not be different A charge for parking would certainly discourage shoppers from outside the area

There is a case for permanent pay parking for businesses and their staff as that is a business expense. The shoppers are contributing to business and economic growth and therefore should not be discouraged by being charged for parking.
Bryan Helm

John Wells and the guardians of the pauatahanui inlet

I note in the newsletter of the Guardians a comment by chairperson John Wells:

"Whist most developments are adequately controlled and developers and contractors act in full compliance with resource consent conditions, accidents due to equipment failure and human error do occur and it is becoming apparent that monitoring by officers of the local bodies requires the back up of stricter and more significant monetary sanctions in any case of repeated breaches of the agree consent".

ROBERT COMMENTS

This is worth considering as part of the current review work on the District Plan. I am not sure how the fines are set at this moment (bad memory), it may be that they are a separate exercise.
r
Wednesday, August 1, 2007

from don borrie - who asks for action in porirua city

COMMENT FROM JIM DEARSLY

The comments made in the article forwarded to your blog by Don Borrie are right on the button.

However, I believe our Council recently agreed to further pokies being installed somewhere in Porirua. No doubt the bodies that receive cash from this source may be pleased but at what social cost does it come from our community. It is time for our Council to think again. This is a most antisocial way of raising money for social purposes especially as only about a third of the money that goes into these monstrous money gobbling machines is returned to the community. This must make Robin Hood turn in his grave.
Regards, Jim

DON BORRIE'S MATERIAL

July 30, 2007

Huge response to gambling campaign

Nearly 7,000 submissions urging tighter restrictions on the number of pokie machines in Manukau City will be handed over to Council representatives at a community meeting tomorrow.

The submissions are in response to a community consultation process called by the Council as part of their gaming policy review and will be presented to Councillor Suá William Sua by representatives of the Otara Action Group and Problem Gambling Foundation at a meeting in the Otara Community Centre at 10 am. Problem Gambling Foundation regional manager, Claire Thompson says that the response to the community campaign urging the Council to take stronger steps to reduce gambling harm has been overwhelming.

She says that although she doesn't know the total number of submissions urging the Council to adopt a moratorium or sinking lid on pokies they will be presenting over 6,700 tomorrow and know of many more that have been posted. "People are really aware of the damage being done in their community by the pokies," she says. "We don't need to explain the issue; everybody seems to know somebody who has been hurt by these machines. "Even though some sports and community services are being funded by pokie losses people are saying it's not worth risking our children's future for a bit of funding.

Ms Thompson says that South Auckland is heavily targeted by the pokie trusts because they know low income people are more likely to develop problem gambling behaviour than other sections of the population. "The trusts rely on problem gamblers for a significant percentage of their income," she says. "Without problem gamblers they would struggle to be viable. "Most people don't go near the pokies so those that do subsidise community activities that everybody benefits from." Ms Thompson says that a large number of people who have made submissions also want to appear at the council hearings in person. For further information contact
Claire Thompson 09 3690605 027 444 6906

Hi Robert. Some more for your blog - Bryan Helm

GM - Morning Report 30.7.07

A major shortcoming in the anti GM debate is that those opposed have not articulated exactly what dreadful things might occur and just how this would happen.

There have been claims that there have been adverse consequences but these are unfounded. Some because of flawed research as determined after being peer reviewed, some because other causes have been identified and some just did not happen.

GM crops have been grown commercially for nearly 11 years and are now grown in twenty countries in all continents. Nowhere in the world has there been any adverse effects. This is not to say that there will never be any but absolute safety can never be guaranteed in anything. Conventional grown food has risks.. E. Colli infected spinach caused some deaths in the US last year.

Other health problems can arise from campylobacter and listeria. Even dairy products can be lethal to some people. The potential benefits are substantial. Crops can be modified to withstand drought and in soil with a high saline content. Food can be modified to resist listeria rather than the use of chemicals and insulin production enhanced through modifying safflower. Nutrient modification can mitigate suffering in third world countries. Agricultural practices can reduce climate change pollutants through less cultivation and environmental benefits from less chemical sprays. We know there are benefits from GM crops and that any adverse consequences from GM crops are purely hypothetical. The likelihood of litigation arising from growing GM crops is extremely low and therefore the concerns of Councils to the north of Auckland regarding liability, are misplaced. Bryan Helm

interesting agenda

Pauatahanui Residents Association Annual General Meeting

Thursday 16 August 2007 7.30pm
The Lodge at the Inlet, Paekakariki Hill Rd

Agenda AGM

1. Apologies 2. Minutes 3. Annual Report 4. Financial Statement including setting of subscription

Adjournment of AGM for Guest speaker Ken Douglas: “What are the options for more effective, efficient, Local Government: Should the Wellington Region be one City? ”

Reconvening of AGM

5. Election of Management Committee 6. Progress updates: • Burial Ground update • EQM Plan Change • Puketiro Wind farm development • Rural Review including Pauatahanui Village 7. General Business (and discussion arising from items above)

good digital news

HWTM AND COUNCILLORS

 I am delighted to advise you  (see Community and Voluntary Sector Minister
Winnie Laban's press statement below and  attached)  that PCC was successful
in its application on behalf of the Digital Porirua Group for $305,250. We
received the full amount that we applied for. In total there were 110
applications and 64 were successful for the available funds of $10.4M.
Relatively few received the full amount applied for. In Porirua's case, the
$305, 250 grant will  be backed up by $611,000 in-kind contributions by
Porirua based agencies.

The purpose of the funding is set out in the "Porirua Digital Strategy"
paper in the Strategy , Finance and Regulatory papers sent to you on Friday.
In brief, this follows up our first phase of the project of "digital asset
mapping". The second phase project aims to establish Porirua as a "digital
city" , and is focused on establishment of a community internet gateway
(Digital Porirua Portal); establishment of a series of community " access
points"; and the design and implementation of effective technical,
educational and service support structures. We are also working closely with
Smartlinx3 which is providing open access broadband infrastructure through
fibre optic cables and wireless. These initiatives together aim to achieve
our goal of "Porirua is  city of well connected communities, where taking
part in new technology is easy".

I am also delighted to tell you that the Porirua City Community Educational
Trust  (e-learning Porirua) with its programme of computers in schools and
homes received $246,131.

 A good day for Porirua and our community  - Digital Porirua will be crucial
for our community's social and economic wellbeing into the future!

 Regards, Roger

Roger Blakeley
Chief Executive
Porirua City Council

denis glover

Denis Glover was a great New Zealander and ultimately a resident on the Kapiti coast. He knew Pukerua Bay well and worked at the Open Polytechnic in its earlier life as the Technical Correspondence Institute. After some difficulties he was placed in a wee office alone and left to get on with his work. As he says, he got two books of poetry out of that confinement. Glover supported the students and he did not support his management. I notice that some of his managers have their photographs on the walls of the Open Polytechnic. Not a photo of Glover in sight. As an ex amateur boxer of some power, he was a bit threatening, or so the story is told. He drank gin and pretty much anything else.

When I was on the Council of the Open Polytechnic I suggested we establish a memorial to Glover and write the history. Looked at now we know his bad record there to be "shell shock" or "battle fatigue" - he was a lieutenant commander in the RN who never recovered from the war. Today there is more chance that he would be assisted by a government programme, or at least understood.

Two lines in "To Friends in Russia" (written after his visit there in the 1970s) amused me today. He considers in the poem the RN experiences in Arctic waters and the effort to support Russia:

Our ships were salt and battle stained,
Got little thanks for the results obtained.

r
Saturday, July 28, 2007

FOOTNOTE

"During the Second World War Glover served with the Royal Navy and made four 'suicide' runs to Murmansk with the Russian convoys. On D-Day, with the rank of lieutenant, he had charge of an infantry landing craft at Normandy, earning the DSC."

where do we get the money? let us think ahead

USEFUL THOUGHTS FROM JIM DEARSLY OF WHITBY

Further to my previous email.

Robert asks who will pay for future parking?

Predictions of future population for Porirua do not indicate rapid growth. Is there a great demand for more parking? I have never had a problem with parking. However, if there is growth, then rates will increase and perhaps additional car parking can be funded from that increase in the rating base. Adequate parking will do more for the economic development of the city than the S&EC and would be an appropriate use of some of the money currently raised from the business sector. This would have been a far more appropriate use of the $5M received from the sale of the Aotea Block Parking fees are just another imposition on residents and ratepayers and merely another way of raising money for council to spend. Charging for parking will discourage cars and adversely affect parking - Ask businesses in Wellington. If new parking spaces are required, why wasn't this expenditure shown in the 10 year LTCCP? Was it so we woundn't be frightened off the S&EC???
Regards Jim

ROBERT COMMENTS

This buiding below, just completed, is owned by a council and operated by a private company. Cost: $8 million. In our case the building might provide both commuter parking and shopper parking. Hence, it would be located between the railway station and the shops. The bus terminal would be integrated with it. Let us all plan ahead for once.

one percent

I notice in the report from Transit NZ on progress regarding Transmission Gully that they have completed 1% of the planning and 0% of the construction. I wonder why I read the Land Transport Committee papers sometimes. The mayor is our Porirua City representative there.
r
Saturday, July 28, 2007

whitby village plan

There will be a series of house meetings held in Whitby to advance the village plan.

Lovely picture of the Whitby Lake

From the WRA meeting in May 2007 came the following suggestions for the issues and topics we should concentrate on in the Whitby Village Plan:

* Youth

* Educational facilities

* Recreation, eg Pool and facilities for older people

* Public transport

* Shops/shopping

* Walkways

* Limits on further housing and look at more varied housing types esp high density cheaper types

* Different types of business

* Effects of global warming especially on Inlet

* Self sufficiency in energy- generating our own ?

* Traffic esp SH58 and connections to Transmission Gully

* Traffic management systems in Whitby

* Reserves and play facilities

parking costs - start of debate

climate change - nelson council

titahi bay from papakowhai

The picture above was taken by Paul Moss a Papakowhai resident. It shows the Planet Venus (evidently above John Watson's house) and the tallest tower in New Zealand. For more pictures go to http://www.gadot.wellington.net.nz/sky/skylines.htm

submission on police act

AD/12/5
Stuart Parkinson
sparkinson@pcc.govt.nz
237 1610
27 July 2007
Police Act Review
Police National Headquarters
PO Box 3017
WELLINGTON

Dear Sir/Madam

REVIEW OF POLICE ACT 1958
The Porirua City Council is pleased to have the opportunity to make a submission on the Review of the Police Act 1958 set out in the consultation document Policing Directions in New Zealand for the 21st Century.

Porirua City Council fully supports the review of the Police Act 1958 and this submission covers several basic matters of importance to our City in relation to policing and safety.  We acknowledge that you will receive a range of responses from local government throughout the country and from Local Government New Zealand.

Local government mandate
The purpose of local government as set out in s10 of the Local Government Act 2002 is:
a) to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities; and
b) to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities, in the present and in the future.

In addition, s91 and s92 of the Local Government Act requires the identification of community outcomes for the intermediate and long-term future and to report on progress toward the outcomes.  Community outcomes are the broad aspirational goals the community selects as being important and these can and do span many issues and groups beyond the direct responsibility of local government.

Although community outcomes are inter-related and benefit from being viewed as a whole, the relevant community outcome and associated indicator in relation to law and order in Porirua is:

The broad mandate for local government means there is an opportunity to identify and take up issues of importance to our communities.  Apart from areas of direct responsibility, the most practical response is to advocate on behalf of our community and work collaboratively with other sectors and agencies with specific mandates.  In this case, Council views our relationship with the Police as an essential component of the City’s governance and wellbeing.

Police relationships and priority setting
Council recognises that the Police are an essential part of our community, particularly in ensuring a sense of safety and security.  We also recognise that community safety and the contributing factors and responses to crime rely on a growing network of processes and agencies.  Just like the health sector, safety and crime prevention needs a coordinated, multi-sector/multi-agency response.

Council enjoys a good relationship with local Police.  Kapiti Mana Area Commander Inspector John Spence is a member of several Council and community groups.  We recognise that in the absence of a legislative requirement for Police to consult and collaborate, there is a heavy reliance on goodwill and the strength of personal relationships.

Effective stakeholder communication by the Police, particularly with the public, is essential.  Porirua has a diverse population (especially ethnically diverse) and a variety of communication forms are required.  Apart from appropriate forms of communication, a ‘no surprises’ approach is sought in the event of new Police processes or technologies being introduced.  The recent introduction of tasers in the Police armoury resulted in a deputation of Pacific church ministers to Council concerned with both the implications of taser use and lack of community consultation.

Local government has a legal requirement to plan, set priorities, collaborate and consult as set out in the Local Government Act 2002.  Council supports a similar process for Police being included in the proposed Bill.  This would help to set out core Police responsibilities, identify local priorities supplemented with local and regional data and how these priorities will be responded to, and define boundaries and relationships with other local agencies.  It would also be important for Police to share the relevant community outcomes of the respective local authorities.

Information and boundaries
As described above, local government is also required to report on progress toward community outcomes and we draw on information (statistics and programme descriptions) provided by Police.  One of the challenges of reporting meaningfully on local safety and crime statistics is to obtain accurate and timely data on our City.

Porirua comes within the Kapiti-Mana Police District involving several local authorities and the data does not always lend itself to the crisp level of reporting we require for our City.  A realignment of Police district and local authority boundaries has been suggested previously but does not appear to have been addressed in the consultation document.  A similar approach has been taken with health districts overseen by District Health Boards (DHB) and health information is often reported at local authority level and then aggregated to DHB level.  Whether a similar approach is to be considered for Police districts is not clear and while Council does not have a strong view on this, we are keen to:

World Health Organization Safer City accreditation
One of the key partnerships for safety and injury prevention in Porirua has been formalised through Porirua’s application for Safer City accreditation with the World Health Organization.  The WHO Safe Communities model creates an infrastructure in local communities for addressing safety through building local partnerships.

As part of this process, a multi-agency Memorandum of Understanding was signed in March 2007 setting out the commitments by each agency toward a Safer Porirua.  Kapiti Mana Police are an essential part of the Committee overseeing the accreditation process which also includes: Council, Porirua Community Guardians, Accident Compensation Corporation, Regional Public Health and the Porirua Healthy Safer City Trust.

The Porirua Healthy Safer City Trust is the legal umbrella for the WHO Accreditation Safe Communities process.  The Trust, which has had close links with the Police for many years, aims to provide a safe and healthy environment and on the safety side, facilitates community responses to specific crime concerns such as graffiti and vandalism, car crime, violence and safer streets.  Council also contracts the Trust to undertake crime prevention work funded by the Government Crime Prevention Unit.

Community involvement in policing
Porirua Community Guardians was established in 2003 and funded by Council for the first time in 2004.  They have a strong relationship with Council and, as a distinct community patrolling group, are an invaluable organisation to community crime prevention and safer city activities.  It has strong support from the Police and other key organisations.  The Guardians promote community safety with a highly visible ambassadorial presence throughout the City.  Council supports such organisations being able to continue to have a role in our community.

Porirua City Council’s Strategic Coordination Group
The Strategic Coordination Group is an intersectoral liaison and network group with a specific focus on Porirua and is attended by the Police’s Kapiti-Mana Area Commander.  The Group includes government agencies with a direct funding, policy, planning and programme delivery role and helps to make connections across areas of responsibility.  Youth offending and youth justice issues are current issues being addressed in the Group.

Police Act Review specifics
Council appreciates the opportunity the community had to hear about and discuss the Police Act Review on 3 July 2007.  Council is aware that other groups such as the Porirua Healthy Safer City Trust will make separate submissions.  In response to the review and the Overview of issues for consultation (pgs 74-75 of consultation document), we make the following comments.

Principles – Council supports a new Policing Act establishing principles to help guide how policing is carried out in New Zealand, along the lines of suggested principles set out in the consultation document.

Effective Policing – Council supports the legislative proposals to support effective policing, along the lines set out in the consultation document.

People - Council supports the legislative proposals to modernise Police’s employing environment, along the lines set out in the consultation document.

Platforms - Council supports the legislative proposals for the governance and administration of Police, along the lines set out in the consultation document.

The Future –Council supports the drafting of a new Policing Act.  There is value in the Act being written in a way that allows the use of new technologies to prevent and solve crime but also the ability to respond effectively to new technologies used to commit crime.

Council will consider the opportunity to make a submission on the proposed Bill and looks forward to continuing the co-operative relationship it has enjoyed with the Police in our City.

This submission is lodged under delegation by the Chief Executive and will subsequently be reported to Council.  If you have any queries regarding the submission, please contact Stuart Parkinson, Senior Policy Analyst on 237 1610 (email: sparkinson@pcc.govt.nz).

Yours faithfully
Roger Blakeley
CHIEF EXECUTIVE

parking - an old issue - your thoughts most welcome

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Car parking in Porirua's central business district

The Porirua Council may establish further car parks in the city centre and charge for parking. Officers advice on such issues will be considered at the City Services Committee on 2 August.

Recently completed research suggests decisions are needed to provide for the growth of the city centre and that this should be done now as the Council works on the City Center revitalization plan.

City Services Committee Chairperson Robert Shaw said 94% of shoppers found parking in Porirua convenient. "That is a good situation for retailers and shoppers alike", he said.

However, the survey also indicated the need for better provision for those who work in the area and need long-term car-parking.

Cr Shaw said "It is is the advice of officers that the Council should consider a charge for day-parking. This might be about $5 a day and could be introduced along with better controls on the short-stay car parks."

"Some level of user-pays would assist the Council to raise money for further car park facilities. As far as we can, we wish to avoid car parking being a charge upon the general ratepayer. Porirua's rates are already too high and it looks likely that the Council will sooner or later have to purchase some  floors of parking in a building.

An associated issue is the safety of the car parks. Cr Shaw said he strongly supported the provision of more CCTV cameras along with improved lighting. We need to use the technology to secure the inner city. Already some progress has been made on this, but there is more work to be done.

Cr Shaw said he would move a motion at the Committee to consult the public before any decisions were taken. The work relates to amendments to the District Plan which is a high priority for many people, he added.
ends

red ken - turning blue

Dominion Post report:

Ken Douglas - the unionist once known as "Red Ken" - has abandoned the Labour Party to run as an independent at the upcoming local body elections.

Mr Douglas, a Porirua city councillor, withdrew his request to run on the Labour ticket after being dumped as a party candidate - along with fellow city councillor Litea Ah Hoi and former mayor John Burke - for the Porirua Community Trust.

Mr Douglas has indicated dissatisfaction with some of the candidates selected by Labour as another reason why he will run as an independent. "(But) I am not going to get into reasons, or the details, of the individuals concerned."

The three sitting trustees have been replaced on the Labour ticket for the trust elections by former city councillor Bud Lavery and present councillors David Stanley and Taima Fagaloa.

Mr Douglas will stand as an independent in the western ward at the October 13 elections, where he will face off against Labour candidates Henry Smith and Mr Lavery, a former Porirua Licensing Trust president.

He will also stand as an independent for the Porirua Community Trust.

A life-long unionist, Mr Douglas was founder of the Moscow-aligned Socialist Union Party, a secretary of the Federation of Labour, and foundation president of the Council of Trade Unions. He received the country's highest honour, the Order of New Zealand, in 1998.

He has been a member of Porirua City Council since 1998 - representing Labour after joining the party in time for the 2004 local body elections - and has been on the Porirua Licensing Trust since 2001.

He was elected to the Capital and Coast District Health Board in 2004, and is on numerous other boards, including those of Air New Zealand, New Zealand Post and the New Zealand Rugby Union. "

politics

LITEA TO KEN

How about you concentrate on your conflicts of interest on the ccdhb and other organisations, and leave the mayor to ask questions for the city. litea

----- Original Message ----- From: Marilyn Tucker To: Diane Koha - PCC ; Euon Murrell ; euonm@gilliesandmark.co.nz ; john.green@paradise.net.nz ; litea.mufasa@xtra.co.nz ; liz@kellyhygiene.co.nz ; Maureen Gillon (Home) ; Maureen Gillon (Work) ; naureenp@familystart-porirua.org.nz ; Rob Rangi ; robert@porirua.net ; suedow@paradise.net.nz ; t.fagaloa@whitireia.ac.nz ; twaters@paradise.net.nz Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 8:39 PM

Subject: Re: Media Release: PCC Concerned about outsourcing proposals for Ken epuru A&M Kia ora Jenny, You media release is entirely inappropriate especially having been invited to Chair a public meeting organised by the CCDHB for the purpose of reporting on the back ground and process associated with improved community delivery of health across our region. It is clear that you are attempting to grand stand on these extremely important issues. It behoves persons in positions such so having been approached by CCDHB to act as the meeting Chair person . The fact that you did not DESPITE having agreed to be the Chair is reprehensible. That is not acceptable and you do not have my support at all.
Ken Douglas

ROBERT COMMENTS

I have asked the ceo about the mayor's media statement. It is a use of council resources to promote her views and not those of the council itself. The Auditor General has just released a satement about such things in advance of the election. In fact, Jenny has the wrong end of the stick as any Keni watcher knows, and as was set out on this blog earlier.
r

city centre - a serious discussion

ROBERT COMMENTS

Earlier this week I met with Council ceo and Russell Black,

to consider Russell's ideas on the city. His ideas are around the foundational framework for the development of the city centre. This he sees as being based on three key nodes that need high visibility. His ideas reinforce and extend the thinking in the current report and hark back to the previous report. In addition he develops the idea of the underground car park in Cobham Court and the flow up over Titahi Bay Road.

Below are some different ideas from Whitby. These community inputs are important for the current debate is serious. We cannot afford to make mistakes in town planning. They are expensive in many ways and we have some direct experience.
r
Tuesday, July 24, 2007

By Jim Dearsly on behalf of the WRA

The presentation by Kobus last month was more or less the same as the previous one a few months ago. The only difference was that he down played the bleak 14m high featureless exterior of the S&EC. In the previous presentation he had made some proposals for hiding this behind some boutique shops and tree lined outside walkway and paved area. He has obviously been told this is not acceptable by Council. He did mention that this blank wall was a difficult feature to deal with (that is saying the least!). We support the idea of a plan so that some of the absurdities of previous ad hoc developments and consents are not repeated. However some of the detail needs more consideration and rationalisation.The beautification of streets with trees etc would green-up and soften the area. Much of that can be done without major re-planning of the street connections .Opening up the current pedestrian precinct to the traffic, however pedestrian friendly is questioned and should not be encroached on unless it can be shown there is real benefit. Two more vehicle accesses into the central parking square might well lead to vehicle congestion as it turns the central car park into what will become, in effect, a giant roundabout. There are already hold ups as vehicles wait for parks to clear or allow traffic in or out of parking spaces. Parallel parking involving people backing into parks will merely add to the congestion and it is hard to see how it can create more parking spaces.The only areas where parking is required close to shops is in relation to super markets as that is where people regularly purchase heavy (trolley loads) of goods. Most heavy items are purchased from the Plaza or the Mega Centre. Most people, when shopping in the central area, will park under New World, the City Plaza, in front of the Stationery Warehouse area, or in the square. I could argue that park and walk are good for us all. Having moving traffic in what is currently a pedestrian domain would not be a benefit and would in fact be an inconvenience and a hazard and as distracted pedestrians played “chicken” with distracted drivers. We should take note of what has happened in Wellington. Separating pedestrians from traffic used to be a planning policy. Has some new theory been formed?Porirua is already the most car shopping friendly place I know as we can park pretty close to the shops and then walk safety of the pedestrian precincts. It is a huge plus. Most people I know like the canopies but there could be some thought to reducing the wind tunnel effects. I am sure there is an engineering solution.We are already over supplied with shops in Porirua and it is difficult to see how some of them can be making any money. There is only so much cash about and the more shops we have the less viable they become. Natural market selection takes place and unprofitable shops close. With the slow growth predicted for Porirua, providing more shops will not attract visitors from outside Porirua. What we want is for more of the junk shops to close (they don’t give the city a good look anyway) and a few more high quality shops to open. That would be more in tune with the demographics of only a few more people but of growing affluence. I see the essential concept of a central pedestrian precinct surrounded by car parks is a good model for the centre and currently works well. The Mega Centre also works well with central car parks surrounded by shops.Making Hartham Court more attractive with a mini park and more trees might encourage more restaurants. But why not be more innovative. HC could be turned into a large open piazza with a car park underneath. That would significantly increase parking and provide one of the nicest city centre in the region. A great place for even functions attracting people to Porirua. I believe it should be sufficiently above the river/ high tide level to allow drainage. Has that option been considered?The walk through from Te Rauparaha Park to the Inlet might be nice and the idea of a waterfront development is innovative and could be attractive but very expensive and has to be somewhat pie in the sky at this time. Certainly nothing should be done that would preclude it later but it is likely to be much later.A lot of the proposed plan can be implemented because it is largely landscaping.
Opening up new streets or current pedestrian precincts would, in my opinion, be a retrograde step and do nothing to improve the area or the shopping experience. However improving pedestrian access from the railway station to HC might have advantages but few people currently arrive by train to go shopping.The plan as present begs the question about the S&EC outer wall that in winter will cast a long afternoon shadow into the park and will be something of an eyesore unless measures are taken to hide it. That could prove to be a real challenge.

The main issue is the central city centre square and the latest proposal is extremely questionable.

liz loves jenny

Jenny

My understanding is that there were two items 1.Forward work programmes for the committees and 2.The informal briefings on committee day. These meetings were for opportunities as chairs and deputies to be cohesive in our approach to the agendas ensuring that the direction set by Council is being met effectively and efficiently as well as an opportunity to raise any other business that may have risen that we may need to address.

Your unilateral decision today epitomizes your leadership - knowing you as I do now I guess I really shouldn't be surprised. The issues I wanted to raise was information that had been given to me regarding A&E I understood we are striving to build a relationship with the Health Board and thought it prudent for Council to ask for an explanation about the matters that had been bought to my attention however I have since read your media release and I guess I should follow your lead and go directly to the papers.
Liz

----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Brash - PCC" <JBrash@pcc.govt.nz> To: "Cr Liz Kelly" <liz@kellyhygiene.co.nz>; "Roger Blakeley - PCC" <RBlakeley@pcc.govt.nz> Cc: "Jenny Brash - PCC" <JBrash@pcc.govt.nz>; "Cr Euon Murrell - Work" <euon.murrell@gilliesgroup.co.nz>; "Cr Ken Douglas" <marilyn.ken@xtra.co.nz>; "Cr Sue Dow" <suedow@paradise.net.nz>; "Cr Robert Shaw" <robert@porirua.net> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007

11:38 AM Subject: RE: Meeting Cancelled: Informal Meeting of Chairs and Deputies with CE: 2 pm Thursday 19 July2007 > >

Liz

There were no aganda items which is why I supported cancelling the > > meeting. Nothing to do with people not mattering. As chair I am happy to > > meet with you and Roger to discuss matters you wanted brought up. Jenny

> > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Liz Kelly [mailto:liz@kellyhygiene.co.nz] > > Sent: Thursday, 19 July 2007 11:24 a.m. > > To: Roger Blakeley - PCC > > Cc: Jenny Brash; Euon Murrell; marilyn.ken@xtra.co.nz; > > suedow@paradise.net.nz; ROBERT SHAW > > Subject: Fw: Meeting Cancelled: Informal Meeting of Chairs and Deputies with > > CE: 2 pm Thursday 19 July2007 > > > > > > Roger - are you telling the rest of us that we don't matter?? I actually > > have some matters I would like to discuss, privately will do now - if you > > are available? > > > > Liz > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Roger Blakeley - PCC" <RBlakeley@pcc.govt.nz> > > To: "Roger Blakeley - PCC" <RBlakeley@pcc.govt.nz>; "Jenny Brash - PCC" > > <JBrash@pcc.govt.nz>; "Cr Euon Murrell - Home" <murrells@xtra.co.nz>; "Cr > > Euon Murrell - Work" <euon.murrell@gilliesgroup.co.nz>; "Cr Ken Douglas" > > <marilyn.ken@xtra.co.nz>; "Cr Robert Shaw" <robert@porirua.net>; "Cr Liz > > Kelly" <liz@kellyhygiene.co.nz>; "Cr Naureen Palmer" > > <naureenp@familystart-porirua.org.nz>; "Cr Sue Dow" <suedow@paradise.net.nz> > > Cc: "Diane Koha - PCC" <DKOHA@pcc.govt.nz> > > Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 8:35 AM > > Subject: Meeting Cancelled: Informal Meeting of Chairs and Deputies with CE: > > 2 pm Thursday 19 July2007 > > > > >> > > Jenny, Euon, Ken, Robert, Liz, Naureen, Sue >> > > >> > >

I have had apologies from Ken Douglas and Euon may not be able to get >> > > there-and thee are no agenda items! So after consultation with Jenny, >> > > the meeting is cancelled. Regards, Roger

our company attracts attention

better meeting in Whitby

The Whitby Residents Assocation meeting last week gave people a chance to talk in a sensible way. There were a few political hoists, but by in large it was educative. The need at the moment is for them to focus on what is needed in the reform of the District Plan. Work is being done, but the challenge is one of priorities.

Regarding the reform of the budget process, I had a chance to say some of the things I was trying to say to them early last year. Basically the same talk that I have given to Pukerua Bay, Plimmerton and Paremata associations. If you are interested in the financial managment of the council you should take a close interest in the budget process reforms.
r
Monday, July 23, 2007

politics in high places

‘Red Ken’ abandons Labour

Ken Douglas - the unionist once known as "Red Ken" - has abandoned the Labour Party to run as an independent at the upcoming local body elections.

Mr Douglas, a Porirua city councillor, withdrew his request to run on the Labour ticket after being dumped as a party candidate - along with fellow city councillor Litea Ah Hoi and former mayor John Burke - for the Porirua Community Trust. Mr Douglas has indicated dissatisfaction with some of the candidates selected by Labour as another reason why he will run as an independent."(But) I am not going to get into reasons, or the details, of the individuals concerned."

The three sitting trustees have been replaced on the Labour ticket for the trust elections by former city councillor Bud Lavery and present councillors David Stanley and Taima Fagaloa.

Mr Douglas will stand as an independent in the western ward at the October 13 elections, where he will face off against Labour candidates Henry Smith and Mr Lavery, a former Porirua Licensing Trust president.

He will also stand as an independent for the Porirua Community Trust.

A life-long unionist, Mr Douglas was founder of the Moscow-aligned Socialist Union Party, a secretary of the Federation of Labour, and foundation president of the Council of Trade Unions. He received the country's highest honour, the Order of New Zealand, in 1998.

He has been a member of Porirua City Council since 1998 - representing Labour after joining the party in time for the 2004 local body elections - and has been on the Porirua Licensing Trust since 2001.

He was elected to the Capital and Coast District Health Board in 2004, and is on numerous other boards, including those of Air New Zealand, New Zealand Post and the New Zealand Rugby Union.

windfarm is to be built soon

very nice statement, which i appreciate

Robert,

Just to pass on to you our congratulations for your AU$10,000.00 Ph.D. award. Such International recognition is hard won and obviously recognizes outstanding academic acumen and thinking. We’re really proud that one of our Councillors has received this kind of recognition. Well done. Helen and John

council's only company

health board - the wheels have fallen off

ROBERT COMMENTS:

The statement below is a concern often expressed. The privatisation of the emergency facility occurred a few years ago. The private facility in the town centre moved to the Kenepuru site. The arrangement was a sort of public private partnership. Nothing new is happening in terms of the philosophical foundation although the plan seems to be to change the private partners around. At the last meeting of the Porirua City Council City Services Committee I asked Cr Douglas as the deputy chair of the health board to comment on events. His response was that nothing had been decided and there were options.

It should be noted that the scheduled review of Kenepuru has been completed. It provided useful statistics and an assessment of how things are going. I became quite angry when I read it. The statistics show that the Pacific Island population is using Kenepuru but the Maori and Pakeha are not. The latter are rather obviously worried more about the charging set up, which frightens people, even though it is misunderstood.

It is good that the Pacific Island people are using the facility. They remain the New Zealanders with the greatest health needs.

Someone ought to ask about the economics of the whole facility at Kenepuru. It is rather obvious that the plans for income have not worked out, and that Kenepuru is costing the health board a bomb.

I was most angry when I read the white-wash in the report that was the "community consultation". I think I will write to the board and request all the documentation that pertains. Basically, they asked Ken Douglas and Margaret Faulkner as board members if all was well and they said it was all fine. Well it is not fine. The consultation committee established with the City Council was ignored evidently. At least those I spoke to had never heard of the review. The list of names of people consulted in the report (in two groups) was a shock -how on earth did they select that lot?

Also, it so happens that I know rather well many of the staff that work from the place, and they tell a totally different story. The community is most upset with Kenepuru, it staggers along without the proper levels of staffing, without the resources needed to service the community, and without a care. The stress on the staff is excessive and there are no credible plans to support Kenepuru.

The strike by specialist doctors has been reported in the media as being about pay. It is not. It is about the management medical split in this country. We ignore the highly trained medical specialists opinions about specialist matters and expect them to work under mangers who do not understand the issues. So long as the health board battles along with great community participation (which means, some selected people with loud mouths get to make the decisions) we are doomed to what we have. Thus spake Zarathustra.

r

SPOTLESS TRIES ITS DIRTY TRICKS

A virus is stalking our hospital wards – the virus of privatisation. The lockout of 800 staff in many hospitals has been brought about by the firm which has a contract for services that Boards use to run themselves. Some still do. This dispute involves staff who are employees of contractor Spotless Services an Australia transnational, which has refused to be part of the deal that the Service Workers Union negotiated for its 2000 members covering cleaners, kitchen workers and orderlies. Spotless will not agree to pay the new rates to new staff and with a 30% annual turnover that means a sizeable number of Spotlight staff will be on low rates.

Union organiser Alistair Duncan told the Health Boards affected that they controlled the premises, and they mustn’t let a rogue boss get away with low pay. Some of the Spotlight workers get $11.33 per hour – seven cents above the minimum wage.  

LETTER TO CCDHB

 “The Chief Executive Officer  Capital and Coast District Health Board WHITE CROSS AND BOARD SERVICES Information provided to a meeting in Porirua last week indicates your Board is considering proposals to privatize some Board services by setting up a Trust in which the White Cross organization will provide services currently provided by the Board. In terms of section 22 of the Health and Disabilities Act 2000 I request that you 1 Advise me of the nature of the proposals. 2 Make public the proposals you are considering. 3.Immediately set up procedures to ensure that the community can participate in any planning taking place on this proposal as required by Section 22. I understand a Board representative told the Porirua meeting that the Board regards this as a “management matter”.  On the contrary it is a significant amendment to the provision of health services and the Board has a responsibility to see that the Act is complied with.  

Please let me know urgently the action you propose to take to carry out your legal responsibilities to “foster community participation” in planning relating to this issue.” SGD JIM DELAHUNTY

Cr Green on the service lane

Brian Helm has been working on the Rates Inquiry

Discussion Paper and Alternative Proposal Submitted by:

Bryan Helm
15 Kiriwai Road, Paremata, PORIRUA 5024 Phone: 233 8250 Email: bhelm@paradise.net.nz

I make this submission as an individual and do not represent any other person or organisation. Introduction. This submission is in two parts. Part I is based on issues identified in the Rates Inquiry discussion paper. Part II outlines a possible alternative for funding local authorities based on income instead of property values.

SUBMISSION: PART I DISCUSSION PAPER PART 3 1

Rates.

The Porirua City Council produces a voluminous document detailing its proposed activities and costs. My interest is in new proposals and increased expenditure in existing ones and I find this difficult to identify from the document produced. I would prefer a simpler document. Something like “The Activity, its present cost, the amount and reason for any increase and the effect on rates and whether we support or oppose the proposal. A more detailed statement could be made available elsewhere.” I have made submissions in the past but no modification has ever been made by the Council to the issues I have raised. At least a questionnaire type document would provide a better reflection of opinion by the community and would likely result in a better response. I think the percentage of ratepayers who make a submission is fairly low. 2

Drivers of increased costs.

One factor can be a tendency of some councils to depart from their core activities and embark on ‘nice to have things’. Individually the cost may not be great but cumulatively this can be significant. Some councils are not as cost conscious as they could be. Activities, especially those relating to administration, might possibly be shared. Millions of dollars are spent on computer systems controlling information which is basically determined by legislation. It might be possible to have a service centre which provides the software for processing information which councils would connect to. The point I want to make is that councils should have a specific policy to explore the most economical way of undertaking any activity. Another factor could be the standards required of some infrastructure. Many schools have closed their swimming pool because of being too expensive to upgrade. Just how many infectious ailments have occurred to justify the upgrade? None that I know of at our local school which no longer has a pool. This raises the question of cost/benefit of standards. 3.

Trends in the use of rating tools to fund services.

As you will note from Part II of my submission I strongly favour rates being income related. If this is adopted ( a meeting I attended suggests this could be a popular option) a review of the rating tools available would have little relevance as would the type or value of the property on which the rates have been collected. I could however see merit in water being separately charged for, ie metered, as this would be better environmentally as users would be more aware of the cost of providing it and be less wasteful. If the present property value system is retained I would favour greater use of uniform annual charges as this would mitigate the inequity of fluctuating property values to some extent. 4.

Sources of revenue

User charges.

Depends on whether optional or compulsory. If someone is seeking a service then I believe that that person should meet at least the bulk of the cost. Eg. Dog registration or consents. If compulsory, such as rubbish then this user charge should be kept to a minimum as otherwise there will be a tendency to dump rubbish away from landfills and those on low incomes may find it difficult to meet higher costs. ·

Development contributions.

I am not aware of the split between developer and council but consider that the developer should pay at least most of the cost. ·

Fines.

Should definitely not be used for revenue gathering . This encourages enforcement for minor infringements and engenders a sense of injustice. Fines are imposed regardless of the ability to pay and a forgetful act could result in financial hardship.

Borrowing.

Should be a last resort option as interest either increases the cost of the project or reduces the funds available for a project if the available funds are capped. ·

Comments on other funding sources.

The other sources listed in (4) of the discussion document are of course the preferred ones but availability often limited. 5 Sustainability of rates Clearly the group affected is that containing those on a low income who are adversely affected by rising property values. This group is not static as changing fortunes determine ability to pay eg. retirement after receiving a high salary. Assets should be divorced from the ‘ability to pay’ discussion. Assets are built for a variety of purposes such as provision of a retirement income or a fund to meet medical expenses when health insurance is not held. Even if assets are built for the benefit of adult children, why should local authorities get the benefit of these assets.

This is one of the reasons why I propose an income related method of funding local authorities. 6. Rates rebates. No comment except to say that this would be redundant if income related rates is adopted. There should however still be some provision for government assistance for low income people. . 7.

Te Ture Whenua Maori Land.

No comment except to reiterate that income based rating would resolve these issues. 8. Exemptions I am not aware of the percentage by which Porirua City Council rates would decrease if exemptions were removed but I imagine the effect would be small. I strongly support the list of exemptions being retained while the property value related rating system applies. If it were abolished the consumer would most likely still pay through increased charges. Some community activities might have to cease if exemptions were removed assuming that the property tax system is retained. I would find it hard to believe that the increase in electricity charges was not influenced in some measure by councils ability to rate lines use. 9.

Other Revenue raising

The main principles for considering other methods for fund raising are that contributions should be according to ability to pay and that every person in receipt of an income from any source should make some contribution. I therefore favour a local tax and I have dealt with this in more detail in Part II of this submission. I do not favour other forms of taxes such as GST or payroll tax as the first does not reflect ability to pay and the second would place an unfair burden on business and absolve the majority in the community from having to contribute. Neither do I support special taxes for tourism. Tourists do not use many of a council’s resources. They do not use sports grounds or libraries or much in the way of cultural amenities. They probably use walkways but ware and tear from such use would be minimal. They do use water but contribute to the cost through their accommodation charge, The monetary benefits of tourism far outweigh the relatively small cost to councils and it is imperative that we do nothing to discourage tourism by adding to the costs of those businesses which provide services to tourists.

PART: II PROPOSAL FOR REVISED RATING SYSTEM

Objective.

To adopt a new system for funding local authorities by levying income and totally abandoning the present system of funding on property values. The Proposed System This applies to the residential sector only as business reform is best left to those directly involved in business. The proposal is that a small levy apply to all income regardless of source. This would include benefits and superannuation payments. In the case of benefits, Government assistance could be given if a beneficiary has difficulty in living on the allowance after the rates levy has been applied. This would be the same principle as help with rent etc, as is done at present A broader base than that for taxation is needed as some income is not taxed. My preference would be for the Government to determine the amount of the levy and collect it, then distribute it to local authorities according to population and some amenities. This would have the advantage of local authorities having to live within their income. However this proposal is likely to be strongly resisted. As a second option the local authority would be permitted to set the rate of the levy according to a formula prescribed by Government. Every person in receipt of an income would complete a Rates Declaration along with the normal tax code where applicable, which would record the local authority in which that person lives and the rate code there, regardless of where they actually worked.

A special “no Declaration” rate would apply and the levy retained by the local authority in which the person worked. A change of address notification would not be required until the next 1 April as I believe it would be impracticable to change codes whenever a worker moved home and ‘swings and roundabouts’ would generally compensate local authorities when this happened.. The paying organisation would deduct the levy in the same way as it does for tax and send the levy to the appropriate local authority.. This could be done electronically and automatically once the system is set up.

Advantages. ·

Payment based on income recognises ability to pay which is not the case with the present property tax · Although a few might pay more than the under the present scheme while employed , this would reduce when income fell following retirement or extended sickness. · Everyone benefits to some extent from council amenities so why should not all contribute in some measure. · Under the present system many who do not pay rates tend to lobby the council for some amenity which they might be less keen on having if they had to help pay for it. · There will be some saving through not having to value properties each three years and maintaining a rates and valuation register. · The need to send out periodic rates accounts would be eliminated. · No need for special rates exemption for certain property classes or targeted rates The Probable Levy Rate The calculations in the attached table are based on Porirua City. The levy could be 0.02360271 cents in the $ if Greater Wellington Rates are levied separately or 0.027746215 cents in the $ if Porirua and Greater Wellington Rates are combined. (See table attached) The total rates collected for Porirua amount to $39,755,198. However I have reduced this to a total of $27,338,246 as I have excluded business rates because I believe their rates should be calculated separately and for GST which in all justice should never have been included. GST I understand that this was added to rates because it was claimed that local authorities provide a service for their citizens who should therefore pay GST. Any service provided by local authorities is primarily of a social content and is no different from that provided by the Government which does not levy GST on normal taxes. Some common activities are provision of parks and walkways, and environment enhancement. As the Government does not add GST to those taxes which support their activities, why on earth should local authorities pay GST? Similarly, activities devolved from Government to local authorities did not attract GST before so why now? What is even more pernicious is that several activities paid for from rates are GST exempt. I refer to loan and interest repayments and contributions to the depreciation fund. The levying of GST is so unfair that it must be discontinued regardless of any outcome from the Rates Review. Calculating the Proposed Rates Levy The income groups in the attached table are from the 2006 Census. The income groups have been used to determine the total income pool on which to base my rates calculations. I then adjusted the Porirua City expenditure as already explained, then determined the rate in the $ as shown in the Table. Some 13% of those in the Census did not state their income and this understated the size of the pool for determining the rate of the Rates levy. That explains why an allowance has been made for this by reducing the levy rate by 13%. Some general outcomes I accept that these calculations are indicative only, as my assumption that had all income been stated that this would have increased the pool by 13%, may not be particularly accurate. I also accept that this proposal is not definitive. It is intended to offer an alternative to the inequitable property tax which must be replaced by something else and therefore I offer this proposal as an alternative. It should be noted that rate payers in Porirua pay a greater proportion of city expenditure in rates than those in many other local authorities because those authorities have more revenue earning assets which contribute to their income. The difference has been assessed at 20% which means that in the event of an income based rates system being adopted nationally, their levies could be 20% less than Porirua. A final observation is that if rates are divorced from property values then some nine items relating to property values listed in the Porirua discussion paper, would become irrelevant."

city centre

I have been facilitating discussions between Russell Black and council officers. The Council seeks to engage everyone in a thoughtful discussion about the city centre. Council must take action there, it is not an option to just leave it alone. There is more to be done, but below is Russell's report on one meeting.
r
Thursday, June 21, 2007

awards for great service

Pip Piper, Russell Morrison and Tiketi Auega were last night recognised for their outstanding contribution to Porirua City at the 2007 Civic Awards for VoluntaryCommunity Service.As well, Rosetta (Rosie) Gallen and Phil Jensen received Mayoral Certificates ofRecognition for community service given way beyond the call of duty.

Pip Piper has been an active member of the Plimmerton Residents' Association for over 20 years and is held in high regard by the community.He is an active member of Grey Power group, is a volunteer at Porirua PublicLibrary's genealogy section, works as a Citizens Advice Bureau volunteer and is amember of Senior Net helping others come to terms with new technology.Mr Piper has been a Justice of the Peace for many years and is an active member ofthe Plimmerton Croquet Club.In his working life, Mr Piper was an inspector with Educational Services and is aveteran WW2 pilot.Those nominating Mr Piper said helping others has been a feature of his whole life."He is highly regarded by all in the community for his unwavering contribution in a huge variety of ways."

Russell Morrison has lived in Paremata since he was 10 months old. He attendedParemata School and has been a member and Commodore of the Paremata Boating Club.Mr Morrison has been on the committee of the Paremata Residents' Association forabout 30 years and is currently Vice President.He was a founding member of the Transmission Gully Action Council, being itschairman and spokesman since 1990. He has been a member of the Guardians of theInlet since its inception and is a trustee of the Pauatahanui Inlet Community Trust.Those nominating him, say Russell's extensive local knowledge, passionate interest inthe area and ability to draft the necessary reports, letters, submissions etc means histime has been filled with research, crafting reports and papers, speaking and attendingmeetings."The Paremata Residents Association, Paremata residents and many others haverelied on and benefited from Russell's expertise and willingness to donate literallythousands of hours of his time.""Paremata residents as well as those interested in the preservation of the Inlet and/orthe construction of Transmission Gully owe Russell, who is still actively involved, an ongoing debt of gratitude."

Tiketi Auega is a founding member of the Porirua City Council Youth Council. He is also a member of the Porirua East Residents and Ratepayers Association as well as onthe board of the Porirua Pacific Forum. He is an educator and community liaisonofficer with Whitireia Community Polytechnic, and is the National Vice President ofthe Pacific National Educators Association, as well as a member of the CannonsCreek Opportunity Centre board."Tiketi Auega has immersed himself in serving his community of Porirua City, inparticular Porirua East...Tiketi is totally committed to working with all types ofcommunities...As young as he is, Tiketi continues to be a pioneer for his community and a dynamic young role model for the youth community and his people in general."

Rosie Gallen was born and bred in PoriruaSince 2002 she has been Housing New Zealand's Community Renewal Project Manager for Eastern Porirua.Those nominating Ms Gallen say the programme is making a huge impact in EasternPorirua and Rosie continually rises to the challenges involved in addressing industryand social issues in meaningful and sustainable ways.She has been instrumental in developing and implementing "Map to the Future', anappraisal of issues in Eastern Porirua which has been pivotal in changing strategicthinking and operational budgets to address the issues the community has identified asimportant."Rosie is a very capable strategic thinker. She is also very skilled at engaging withcommunities on their own terms."Rosie is a driving force behind the Cannons Creek Community Campus project,which has been involved in creating a new vision for Cannons Creek ShoppingCentre.As well, Rosie is a trustee on the Porirua Primary Health Organisation, deputy chairof the Porirua Healthy Safer City Trust, chair of the Porirua Community Guardiansgovernance group, as well as a community patroller, advisor to Cannons CreekOpportunity Centre, founder of the Tuakana youth programme and many more.She was instrumental in nurturing the Waitangirua Action Group and worked behindthe scenes to help establish the Aoga Amata Porirua early childhood facility, whichopened in 2005."Rosie has a keen eye for the potential in people and community organisations.""Helping people achieve their potential is much more than just a job for Rosie - sheworks tirelessly for HNZC tenants, their surrounding communities and for Porirua City as a whole."

Philip Jensen joined Porirua City council in 1993 and since then has been employedin the control and eradication of graffiti and other vandalism within the city. He leadsa team of three."Phil has always approached this soul-destroying task with an energy and vigourwhich is admired by all he comes in contact with...Such is his energy andcommitment to the job that he commonly works weekends to ensure the criminalsdon't get a "free pass".In addition to his work with Council, he also takes troubled youth under his wing tomentor them. These youth are normally referred to him by Police or Courts.

more on the fence - 223 people !!!

Hi Robert

Thank you for both coming yesterday and blogging congratulations. Whilst Tim does a huge amount for the community, congratulations in this instance should fairly and squarely go to Dave Anderson, our Chief Volunteer Fire Officer  as well as to all the other members of the PRA, the Fire Brigade, our local Red Cross, the School, the Baptist Church and the Anglican Church for all their support as well. Particular thanks need to go to all the members of the Community who rang with offers of help, delivered flyers, baked cakes and cheerfully turned up to lend a hand.

Our sponsors – Mana New World, Resene Paints, Café Vella and Brights Building Supplies were just amazing in their helpfulness and generosity.

Needless to say we couldn’t have achieved this result without the help of many Council Officers who worked with us to achieve the end result from doing risk management plans through to water  blasting.

Our intention from the start (when you will remember those early efforts to get a “Plimmerton Chapter” in the LTCCP) was to encourage and promote Community building through the Village Planning exercise as a means to enhance our community. We’re on the way to keep building on this with lots of ideas for the future and were obviously thrilled with the turnout where the final count was 223 people helping in one way or another both at the scene and behind the scene.

We have lots of photos and many will be on display in the local coffee shop before the end of the week. I will email others as they come to hand.

The final coat of paint needs to go on next Sunday after the Kindy mid –winter swim at 1.00pm. Here’s hoping we get plenty of stalwarts to help us with that task as well, energised by their dip in the cold water!

Northern Ward Councillors and paint

Thank you again for your support and the support of all our Northern Ward Councillors, the Mayor and to Chris Findlayson, M.P.

Regards

Helen

ROBERT COMMENTS

There is a very perceptive comment in the above email. Few people understand the village strategy work FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COUNCIL. The comment about the LTCCP leads to some important insights. More on this later.

Further photographs will be posted shortly. Comments also welcome. Keep emailing them to me.
r

rates miracle

I am pleased to announce that the rates rise this year has been reduced by one whole percent (subject to the decision-making of Council). You may not think that is much, but it represents an incredible amount of work from a small group of councillors.

The average rates rise for householders this year will be 3.7 percent, and not the 4.7 percent proposed in the Draft Annual Plan. The overall rise will be 5.3 percent, which is reduced from 6.3 percent in the Draft.

The only way to deal with the financial pressures on the Council, if your goal is to reduce the rates, is to alter the way we do the budgeting. Much work has been done on this particularly at the councillors retreat.
r
Tuesday, June 19, 2007

MR WATSON REPLIES

Rates Miracle - Come off it Robert! What is so non-miraculous is that this is an election year. Will a one percent rates reduction save some councillors' bacon? Now I'm in favour of elections being held annually.
Regards - John Watson

how do we rank on quality of life?

If Wellington is the 12th best city in the world, and Auckland 5th, Porirua City must be pretty much the top of the list!!

http://www.mercerhr.com/summary.jhtml?idContent=1173105

whitby meeting

ROBERT COMMENTS

Tim is right that I did not write much about the Whitby meeting. The meeting was in two distinct and contrasting parts.The presentations on the village strategy by Robin and Tim were excellent. The councillor presentation was inaccurate when it was specific, repleat with sweeping generalisations, and not informed by the recent work of the Council. Two councillors said to me they felt insulted by the meeting. It was in very marked contrast to the Plimmerton AGM. This was the second meeting at Whitby in the same vein. The Council's chief executive and I answered the first meetings allegations in the Whitby NewsBrief. The chief exeutive's points were ignored in the second meeting. Indeed, the same allegations were repeated. Enough said. I really do not want to go there! (excuse the pun)

Tim asks why I did not blog his meeting. The answer is simply pressure of work. We were trying to clear the Annual Plan and and there were several issues that particular residents had with Council decisions (one to do with a Plimmerton walkway). These take time. Also, the roading issue has been demanding attention.
r

LETTER FROM TIM

Dear Robert

I have just returned from overseas and have caught up with your blog on the recent Whitby Residents’ Assn last meeting. Of course I am not a member of that association, but I was there and I think you do them a disservice in your fairly dismissive reporting of their meeting. Yes, they did have an important first brainstorming session on the development of a local village strategy. Robin Gunston did a superb job in setting the scene for that and it was great to see all the people present getting involved – this is true grassroots democracy. But no, you are not correct in saying that councillors were not invited to speak. The keynote presentation was to have come from your colleague John Green, but since he was in hospital it was delivered by the RA Chair Jim Dearsly. This might have been before you arrived (since you had been chairing the City Services Cttee), so let me assure you that it was a useful overview of many of the key local issues for Whitby residents. Since it was a Residents’ Assn meeting it seems to me that the presence of councillors - and their participation like all other attendees – is most welcome, but it seems to me a bit pretentious for you to expect to have more than one councillor given a formal speaking slot on the RA agenda. Did you put your hand up to contribute anything along the way? I also disagree with your dismissal of the rest of the meeting. Yes, you’re right in saying that both the Mayor and Sue Dow left after the brainstorming session, but Jenny apologised that she had another commitment and couldn’t stay; ie I don’t think we should assume she went in response to any criticism of Council, as you suggested. You acknowledge that the first part of the meeting, on the village strategy, was “useful” but then claim the second part of the meeting was a “barrage of inaccurate stuff about the council that I did not deem worth answering”. So what was the rest of the meeting? Essentially it was another guest speaker, namely Moi! I had been invited to explain to the Whitby RA what we in the Plimmerton RA had been up to recently, especially with regards to our experience with village strategies. I am disappointed you thought that was worthless. While you are entitled to your opinion as to the worth of my address, I think it is unfairly misleading for you to tell your blog readers it was an attack on council. Indeed I believe my whole tone was positive and enthusiastic (indeed, one of the appreciative members of the audience said I was “inspirational” and another thought I was “evangelising”!). Since you have clearly forgotten what I said, let me remind you that my key message was that in Plimmerton we had found the experience of village strategising to have energised our wider community, with many more people now getting involved in community matters. I explicitly recognised the role of Council in this and saw it as a harbinger of a renewed focus on grassroots democracy. If you like I’ll send you a copy of my speech notes and I would challenge you to find anything in them that would justify your assessment of them as a “barrage of inaccurate stuff about the council”. Don’t you think you owe me an apology? You claim to be an active supporter of Residents’ Associations so I’m a bit surprised that you both criticise the Whitby meeting and also have not yet blogged anything at all on the Plimmerton RA AGM you attended two weeks ago. Perhaps you think even less of that meeting since we didn’t have any formal agenda item for councillors to address us, but of course as Chair I did identify the councillors present, welcomed you and thanked you all for your service – what more do you want? We had about 100 residents attending (it was standing room only), which seems to support my claim that the village strategy process we followed seems to have galvanised us all. Of course we had an excellent drawcard speaker in Ian Athfield and his thoughts will be helpful to us all in the District Plan Review – something you yourself referred to in your welcome contribution from the floor.
Regards Tim Sheppard

plimmerton fence paint

Congratulations to Helen Chipper and Tim Shepherd and the team of over 150 fence painters.This job was one of the outcomes of the village strategy work begun four years ago (at least).

I found the day elating. The rain just managed to stay away long enough to make the whole thing a success. I had plenty of interesting discussions with people about all manner of Plimmerton and Council issues.

Chris Findlayson, MP

Comments on the event are welcome for the blog. More photos would be good. It is a fantastic achievment for Plimmerton - the look of the place has improved beyond measure.
r
Sunday June 17, 2007

haunui bush, pukerua bay

UPDATE

The property has evidently been sold to to a Waikato farmer who intends to live in the house. He says he will add two properties to the estate, remove the pine trees and supports the bush being maintained. The Pukerua Bay Residents' Association is delighted with this proposal.
r
Monday, June 18, 2007

PUBLIC MEETING

This issue was discussed at a public meeting tonight. I was asked to present a petition to the Council.

It asks for protection for the Haunui Bush and the Charles Gray Homestead.

I know the area well having watched my own children play there and having looked in the gully for evidence of human beings (never found anything but I did see some interesting birds). I always assumed the bush was a public reserve and the house in private ownership. Foolish assumption. Peter Jackson also used to play there evidently, and he shot a film there in his early days, or so I am told.

Haunui Bush and the Charles Gray Homestead are being considered as areas for development. Council's actions regarding this matter will depend on the nature of the land ownership. The existing rules in the District Plan will apply. Allegedly, 3.49 ha is for sale. I am not sure how accurate that is, but it is what is being said in the community. On the face of it, it would be expensive to make the area a reserve.

See the map below.

r
Thursday, June 14, 2007

LETTER THAT PERTAINS

plimmerton residents' association agm

I have been asked to say something about the recent Plimmerton Residents' Association meeting that was chaired by Tim Shepherd and featured the architect Ian Athfield.

I thought the meeting went very well. It addressed all the normal protocols and had ideas that were relevant and expanding.

Ian Athfield says at every meeting he attends at Porirua that we should make all resource consents contingent upon the approval of neighbours. In the jargon, "noncompliant" with the District Plan. There is food for thought in this. It is impractical, but that aside there is an important concept.

One feature of the meeting was the way the Assocaiton recognised the role of council officers in the business of decision-making. There has been a very deliberate attempt made to form a partnership between the RA's and the Council at both the officer and the councillor level. Blog readers will know that I figured out that over 80% of what involved RA's is management and not governance. It is good to see engagement between the Assocation and the management of Council.

The meeting was light-hearted and positive. That augurs well for the future.

Incidentally, the meeting round this week has been "philosophical". The ceo is on leave and the agenda is light. Discussions about budget process have begun but there is a very long way to go before the scheme decided at the councillors' retreat is implemented.Also, begun was further discussion about the rate of progess with the District Plan work. Fact is there are signficant problems of a practial kind and we have to be patient. This is not something the community want to hear. However, I can remember some years ago when I was the only one saying we needed to redo the DP as a matter of urgency and no one seemed to be that much interested. Now they are saying it is too slow. One cannot win.
r

Thursday, June 14, 2007

progress with the reform agenda - one year on

THIS IS THE BLOG STATEMENT FROM ABOUT A YEAR AGO

I AM GOING TO USE IT TO MONITOR PROGRESS NOW

About six months ago Council began a dramatic reformation of its own functioning. This is based around the restructuring of governance functions but has wide implications for the Council officers as well. Elsewhere in the blog are details of why this work is necessary. So, what is the state of play?

SUCCESSES

Thus Spake Zarathustra

what am I doing this week?

Someone asks me what I am doing this week. It is a part of the self-serving notion that what is most important thing about councillors is that they attend residents' assocation meetings.The recently made accusations about meeting attendance are from rebels in search of a cause. Over 15 years I have been an active supporter of RAs without hearing that particular bleat. I still remember with fondness my time on the Pukerua Bay RA, not to mention the kindy committee where I fell asleep in an evening meeting. There was myself and about 12 women on the committee. One day I might answer the current season of "you have not attended our meeting", although until now I have been happy to watch, they do no harm.

Meeting attendance at the council has been intereting as three councillors went on strike for a bit over a year. This became possible with the move from meeting fees to mini-salaries. There absence meant the rest of us had to watch the numbers present. They are all back attending now that the election is upon us.

I am also reminded that I have not said much about the Whitby Residents' Assocation AGM. It was in two parts: the useful part on their village stragegy where they are two years behind everyone else, and a barrage of inacurrate stuff about the council that I did not deem worth answering; not that the councillors present were invited to speak (one and the Mayor left early recognising this).

Actually, the top issue this week is the village strategy policy (long email from officers appeared this morning, responding to my discussion). We are getting things clearer. I will visit the ceo specially on this, probably at 7 am later in the week). My immediate goal is to get the rules into formal policy now. There is likely to be a review of the whole business in about a year's time. I may not be voted back to be present in a year, hit by a bus, whatever.

I have in mind to answer Mike Doig's letter in the Kapi Mana. He makes a good point that should draw a response from the Council. His example is Mana Esplanade, but he would have made his point better with Transmission Gully.Either way, the question about the basis of decisions should be discussed.

Just scheduled a meeting with Darcy Nicholas who is the new General Manager Cultural Services. This is about the priorities for the City Services Committee. I want to run through his whole set of responsibilities and discuss what are the key goals right now.

There is also work regarding chairperson's meetings (two scheduled).

Tuesday night: chief executives' employment committee.

Wednesday: Council meeting on the Annual Plan.

Apart from running a course for second year degree students on an aspect of management, and writing www.astronomyaotearoa.net and doing some more prepartation for a conference (see www.pesa.org.au), it is a pretty ordinary week.
r
Tuesday, June 5, 2007

interfaith

staff changes

Roger Blakeley
Chief Executive
Porirua City Council

whitby blog on village planning

Robin Gunston writes:

 

"Feel free to circulate this to anyone in Whitby/Council- put it in your favourites and visit regularly

 

Anything you want put on it send to me please

 

Presentation material from last meeting and an outline of the process will be up here soon

 

Robin"

campaign blogs in porirua

Watch for we blogs and web sites from councillor and mayoral candidates. I know of three in the making.

Remember:

http://www.robertshaw.orcon.net.nz/mayor.html

consult on city centre

CEO
PCC

Roger

Item
10. Porirua City Centre Revitalisation Plan
This has potential to remould the future of Porirua City.
What possible reason can there be to forward this item direct to the full
Council meeting and exclude "stakeholders" including ratepayers from public
participation in the normal committee process?

11. Porirua City Council Submission to Greater Wellington's Annual Plan
Likewise above.
Also, PCC has had a year to anticipate the deadline so why was it necessary
to put the submission in on the closing day (under officer delegation) and
now seek retrospective approval of the Council?

Graeme E

Graeme Ebbett
Chairman
Titahi Bay Residents Assn Inc
C/- 37 Terrace Rd, Titahi Bay, Porirua.
Work Ph 568 6377, Fx 568 2374
Home Ph 236 8574, Fx 236 8591
Email ebbett.automation@clear.net.nz


ADDENDUM

people think porirua is a dangerous place because of the court - the crime is elsewhere but we have the court

Cash and $160,000 in P found in raids Dominion Post -

Saturday – 26 May 2007 Porirua police have seized methamphetamine with a street value of $160,000 in an operation targeting the Mongrel Mob. About $137,000 in cash was also confiscated. Two men have been arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine for supply, and one man has pleaded guilty to the same charge. Another man, 32, will appear in Porirua District Court on June 3 for a pre-depositions hearing over $97,000 of cash that police allege relates to his, and the Porirua Mongrel Mob's, methamphetamine dealing. Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Oxnam said the size of the drug seizures was "significant" but not enough to make a dent in street supply. He said the most disappointing aspect of the drug haul was that many marae throughout the country were trying to tackle the growing P problem by running anti-methamphetamine programmes. "But we've got this Maori gang and they are flying in the face of mainstream Maori." Mr Oxnam said a stash of goods worth thousands of dollars was also recovered from the Paekakariki home of one of the men. He said he believed that it was stolen from cars throughout the Wellington region. "It shows the direct link between drug dealing and property crime," Mr Oxnam said. "There is also lots of violent crime associated with drug-dealing. "We put a lot of resources into policing the Mongrel Mob and this is just a part of it."

He added that the Mongrel Mob featured strongly in all crime statistics ranging from serious violent crime, organised crime and drug-dealing to family violence, theft and traffic offences.

Two of the charged men were arrested at Wellington airport on May 23 after a 40-year-old, allegedly carrying 80 grams of methamphetamine, had arrived on a flight from Auckland.

A search of his Paekakariki house uncovered the goods police allege are stolen. He appeared in Wellington District Court and was remanded in custody to reappear on June 1. A 39-year-old, allegedly in possession of 20g of the drug, was also at the airport. He appeared in Wellington District Court and has been remanded on bail and curfew at his home address. Relating to a separate incident, a man, 25, pleaded guilty in Porirua District Court to possession of methamphetamine for supply after 60g of the drug, and $40,000, was found at his home.

Mana Esplanade and St Andrews Road, Traffic Review

Last night an extraordinary meeting of the City Services Committee passed three motions to establish the review and ask Transit to attend to some current problems. The next hurdle is the appointment of a consultant to conduct the review. It needs to be a firm that has not been involved in the project to date and they need a range of skills.

This work is an example of how the Council should function as an advocate for residents. We heard from Tim Shepherd and Russell Morrison from the Plimmerton and Paremata residents' assocations respectively. Councillors agreed with their submissions that more action was required, and the Committee followed that through to a decsion what was unanimous.

Jenny Brash did good work to bring forward current issues and the Council has asked Transit to tend to some specifics.

I gave everyone an undertaking that the matter will be regularly reported to the City Services Committee, because of its importance. This is the first time since I became chairperson of that Committee that I have asked for something to be reported to the Committee for information. The rule is that the committee only considers things that require a decision. Not things for information, which are distributed to councillors through a weekly bulletin from the chief executive. The rule is broken in this particular case.
r
Friday, May 25, 2007

robin gunston - whitby strategy

At last the Whitby Residents' Association has begun work on the village strategy. A great lead off was given by Robin Gunston who has plenty of experience in futures work and the managment of community projects.

The process developed is direct and immediate. The extent to which the Whitby community can be engaged in the process remains to be seen.

Different communities have taken different approaches to the development of their suburbs. In some cases there have been very large numbers of meetings and in others very few. We can expect some written material about his shortly.
r
Friday, May 25, 2007

sports and events

i am asked

Why not make the blog open to everyone who wants to make a comment without my having any control. The answer is that as the publisher I would be responsible for the statements on the blog and people say things that are not very nice. What is more those things can attract legal action.

There have been people who have asked me to take things off the blog. If they are things they have written I generally oblige. If they did not write them I do not oblige. The exception is material that relates to council officers. In the past there have been things on the blog that have upset staff. There are some serious judgements to be made about such things.

Amusingly, the person who asked for the blog to provide free access, did not want their statement on the blog.

Incidentally, the Sports and Events Centre contract was approved this evening. The project now is to be run by the chief executive.
r
Tuesday, May 22, 2007

who should be on the council?

Council Elections 2007

Plimmerton Residents’ Association committee works closely with Porirua City Council and we have gained some clear views on our elected representatives. Not surprisingly some of them are good and work hard for us, while others are not so good and seem to do little outside Council meetings. We want to help elect only those candidates who will listen, discuss and act on the key issues for this community and for Porirua as a whole.

We intend to approach all candidates for the Northern Ward positions and seek their views on some key issues. Last election some of our current Councillors couldn’t even be bothered to respond to our questions. We’ll let you know what they say this time.

We’ve had talks with other residents’ associations and we feel candidates need to respond positively to these matters:

We need to consider also which candidates have the ability and time to participate fully as a councillor. We think the role is much more than just attending Council meetings. We are looking to elect dynamic, forward-looking people who really care about this community and will do everything to promote our best interests.  You may have other hot issues you would like the residents’ association to explore with candidates.   If so, please let us know at:  pippiper@paradise.net.nz

ROBERT COMMENTS

It is good that Pip opens up this debate. There are plenty of strange views out there about what councillors actually do, and what they should do. I will write more about it when I have more time.
r
Monday, May 21, 2007

user pays aspect of land transport

FUEL TAX CAN SPEED TRANSMISSION GULLY BUILD

Porirua City Council is pleased that yesterday's budget announcement included the provision for a regional fuel tax, says City Services Committee Chairperson Robert Shaw.

"It has always been the case that a significant part of the money for TransmissionGully would come from the people of the Wellington region,"

Councillor Shaw says.providing a10 cents a litre regional fuel tax could be used to pay the $470 millionfunding shortfall for Transmission Gully.Latest estimates put the motorway costs at $955 million and the Government hascommitted $485 million.

However, this estimate could come down once the current geotechnical and preliminary design studies are completed."In land transport projects of this magnitude there needs to be a sharing of the costs.This recognizes that there are both national and regional benefits to come from the new motorway."

Councillor Shaw says contributions could come from a fuel tax and tolls."The concept of tolling for the Transmission Gully motorway has been discussed overthe past 10 years and work has been done on how smart tolling could be implemented."He says the new funding mechanism also reduces potential financial pressure on local ratepayers.

"The region has a major input on projects like Transmission Gully through the Regional Land Transport Strategy which is based on extensive public consultation. It will be interesting to see what the public reaction is to this news."

COMMENT FROM BLOG READER

i requisitioned a meeting

MEETING CALLED TO ADDRESS TRAFFIC ISSUES IN MANA

An Extraordinary Meeting of the City Services Committee will be held next week toprogress action on traffic and other problems on SH1 in Mana.

City Services Committee Chairperson Robert Shaw has asked Council Chief Executive Roger Blakeley to advise the meeting on how more rapid progress can bemade to resolve traffic safety concerns along St Andrews Road and Mana Esplanade.

"At last week's meeting of the City Services Committee we heard presentations fromTransit NZ and representatives of the Plimmerton and Paremata residents'associations. The concerns raised by the residents were echoed by Councillors."

"One of these was confusion over progress on resolving terms of reference for an independentreview of the operation and safety of the upgrade of SH1 from Paremata toPlimmerton including Mana Esplanade, T2 Lanes and St Andrews Road."

Last November, Councillor Shaw chaired a meeting of the Council with Transit NewZealand and other stakeholders and it was agreed the two organisations would worktogether to agree terms of reference for the review.

Dr Blakeley has been in discussion with Transit Chief Executive Rick van Barneveldand yesterday was assured that the terms of reference will be resolved by next week'smeeting.

Councillor Shaw welcomed the news."I look forward to hearing Transit New Zealand's response and making some forwardmovement in addressing our and residents' concerns."

The Extraordinary Meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at 5.30pm onThursday 24 May 2007.

management re-structure

PCC WORKING SMARTER FOR THE CITY

A recent review of Porirua City Council aims to provide value to ratepayers through integrated Council processes and services for the city, says Chief Executive Roger Blakeley.

“I initiated this review because Council has particular challenges ahead in ensuring we continue to provide high quality services to our city. To do this we need to manage our finances, our communities and our environment in a sustainable way and this requires prudent management of resources with smart systems,” he says.

With the help of consulting firm ChangeWorks, a draft report on the organisational review was presented to Council staff in March for their consideration and feedback.

“The consultants reported favourably on the quality of comments made by over 100 PCC staff and were very impressed with their level of commitment to serve the best interests of Porirua City. This illustrates the degree of skill and dedication present in our staff that has contributed to the past successes we have enjoyed as a Council.”

Dr Blakeley says feedback from staff was invaluable in informing the final report, released last week (10 May), which outlines some structural and process changes at the Council.

These include a new Council structure of five General Managers responsible for Community Services, Environment and Regulatory Services, Asset Management and Operations, Corporate Services and Strategy and Planning reporting to the Chief Executive.

The positions of General Manager, Asset Management and Operations and General Manager Community Services are being advertised internally.

The new GMs will take up their roles on 1 July 2007 when the new organisational structure will start taking effect.

Dr Blakeley says he wants an organisational structure that is integrated and aligned to its strategy and a Council that works as one team.

“It also requires business excellence in all we do, from operational matters to customer service and cost control. To assist in this I have created a new position of Business Excellence Co-ordinator and this will be advertised in the next few weeks.

Dr Blakeley says change can unsettle people and he has valued the patience and professionalism of the Council staff during the review period.

Thank you from Toi Maori Market Limited

election dates

27th July..............NOMINATIONS OPEN.

24th August.........NOMINATIONS CLOSE.

13th October.......ELECTION DAY

11th December... (.Last Day for Candidate Expenditure to be Lodged. )

24th October.......INAUGRAL COUNCIL Meeting ( Swearing in. )

plimmerton

You are warmly invited to the

  Plimmerton Residents’ Assn AGM

With Guest Speaker Ian Athfield

  On Monday 28 May at 7.30pm

  Plimmerton Pavilion, Sunset Parade

CASH PRIZES FOR BEST IDEAS ON RATES INQUIRY

Ten prizes of $100 have been won by submitters who had the best rate review suggestions.

The cash prize was offered by an anonymous donor keen to encourage the public to come up with ideas for the Porirua Steering Group on the Government's Inquiry into Rates and Local Authority Funding.

The Steering Group identified a range of alternatives to property tax for raising revenue and urged all residents to have their say. As an extra incentive, a Porirua resident offered a $1000 prize pool for submissions. In the end 160 submissions were received and it was decided to split the money between the ten most "thoughtful and insightful", with businesses, residents' associations and individuals and families recognised.

The ten submitters who won the cash are: Business North City Shopping Centre, Kiwi Property Income Residents' Associations Plimmerton Residents' Association Whitby Residents' Association Individuals and Families Catherine Vriens, Porirua East Dave and Robyn Parker, Whitby Thakshan and Susila Fernando, Papakowhai Nick Collins, Paremata Bryan Helm, Papakowhai Mike Gould, Plimmerton Clive Millanta and Dick Renouf, Titahi Bay

The Steering Group's final submission to the Government's Inquiry said the current system of funding local authorities was "fatally flawed" and that a new system based on income tax or GST should be introduced.

The six member Steering Group comprised Mayor Jenny Brash, John Seddon, Trevor Roberts, John Watson, Margaret Guthrie and Alan Gray . Mr Roberts said public feedback through submissions strongly supported the view that the current property tax-based system was neither fair nor affordable; that the current rating system did not meet the normal tests for taxation of efficiency, simplicity, transparency, sustainability and fairness, and that improvements were needed.

All submissions are being considered by the Government's three-member Inquiry Panel and a final report is due to be presented to Minister of Local Government Mark Burton on July 31

meetings yesterday

Yesterday we had the Strategy and Finance Committee meeting, briefings by the chief executive on 5 topics, and then the City Services Committee meeting.

The council chamber was packed for most of it, with a particularly large audience in the afternoon. I use the word "audience", which is clearly the wrong word, but the way some councillors play to them suggests it is not far from the truth. There is an aspect of showpersonship in councils. One should not be concerned about this side of the council, politics is the name of the game at the moment (preparations for the election are well underway, expect web sites, celebrity endorsements, painted vans, and inventive campaigning - none of which relates to anyone's ability to do the job), and so long as the quality of decision-making does not drop that is fine.

Incidentally, the Labour Party has selected most of its candidates. Cr David Stanley has been removed from their ticket and given a spot on the trust instead. Their mayoral candidate will stand for a councillor position as a Labor candidate in the north. The same two will be their health board ticket (Douglas and Faulkner). Labour hopes to win a councillor seat in the north and hence bring back its control of the council. John Burke will be their candidate for the regional council and Barbara Donaldson who is Labour will stand as an independent. Do not be fooled by talk that they are all fighting amongst themselves. They are, but that is not the relevant point. When it comes to campaigning the Labour Party in Porirua is in its element. They complain about each other but they work together most effectively. They know how to campaign and they are well supported by central government people.

The Committee meetings went well although it was the longest set of meetings in recent times. This was in large part because of the issues around roading and the appearance of Transit New Zealand in the form of the regional manager, Mr Taylor. There is some frustration with the pace of decision-making and the direction of decision-making. I have undertaken to follow up on a short list of specifics and will do so. Prime among them is the clearance of the terms of reference for the Mana Esplanade review.

Other items of note include decisions on the Plimmerton park-and-ride extension. The Youth Policy is now in place, and a councillor had the bright idea of asking the youth what they are now going to do (with our assistance). Financial management issues are present, and I have been checking out some of the variances. Looks as if it will all sort, although there is some extra information I require.

A councillor a few weeks ago asked me and others with apparent frustration "what do the regional council do". He did not say anything when the regional council provided their submission on the bulk water supply. There is an increase in the cost of bulk water (3%) and that will impact on the PCC budget. This is being driven by preparations for increased capacity, but that need is still a very long way off. One interesting matter was a brief discussion about why Wellington and Hutt cities fell flat on their collective faces when they tried to save money by contracting out water services within their cities (this is not the bulk supply which is managed by GW).

By the way, members of the community (including John Watson) and the chief executive presented an oral submission to the rates review. That review is trying to find a way to make sensible recommendations likely to fly It is one thing to draw a conclusion and another thing to have Parliament change the law.

The Police did not appear at the meeting, or rather they did appear but had to rush away before speaking. There was an emergency in Tawa. Typical of Tawa to hinder politics in Porirua. The gang issue was aired and there will be a special session on it in six weeks time at the Committee and provided the people of Tawa behave themselves we will hear from the Police.

Everyone at council - officers and councillors - are working incredibly hard at the moment. The number of meetings on specific topics is very high. For example, we have the sports and events centre decisions around tendering looming, the District Plan work, the re-write of the contract for the chief executive, many contracts are being re-worked with sports organisations and community groups of different kinds. The youth policy has generated more work.

Incidentally, it is the season for the review of fees and several papers went through the Strategy and Finance Committee to adjust fees. People raise these things as issues but when I talk about the funding policy (which is the analysis that underpins the fees schedules themselves) and the reasons for particular decisions, they all seem to fall asleep.

Civic awards time again. In the public-excluded session I asked the councillors to speak to each of the people nominate, in turn. Councillors did not want to say much, although some made good comments. I then took a straw poll by having people record their 4 preferences. Then the motion was moved according to the straw poll and the decisions were made. What is new is that the councillors no longer have to decide on the day and time of the presenation, the venue, and all the small details. This is one thing that was recently delegated to the chief executive. I was interested to note that this is the second round that has been made since the delegation. Last time there were questions about why do we not decide the venue and so on. This time, it did not occur to anyone ask anything about the practical details. Successful delegation, I would say.

Finally, Porirua City residents have every reason to be proud of their Council yesterday. Although the issues were alive, emotions ran high, and there was much frustration; the decisions made were very sound, councillors did not abuse each other in any way, the officers advice was helpful and concise, and councillors worked through a complex agenda with good focus.
r
Friday, May 11, 2007

gangs in porirua city

jim again

So far as I know every person accused by Jim of being a part of this block vote has denied it. But still Jim continues with his allegations. First he agrees there is no block vote and then he goes on to say "if this group is secretly deciding to block vote ..."

I wish to make it very clear to Jim Dearsley that I am not "suggesting" that I am not involved in any block voting scheme. I absolutely deny it. I resent his refusal to take my word for it, and I must say that in my 15 years in local government this is the first time that anyone has refused to take my word for anything.

The meeting records show that the alleged conspirators vote all over the place at meetings. Councillors do need courage to vote as their reason dictates in the interests of the city as a whole. I have had plenty of experience voting alone against motions both at the city and regional councils.

Finally, regarding this: "WRA is not alone in believing that the consultation process as currently applied is a sham. Those views are shared by the other RAs in Porirua and gained over many years". What you are not told is that I specifically spoke to the Pukerua Bay Residents Association, the Plimmerton Residents' Assocation and the Paremata Residents Assocation about plans to rework the way the Council consults. The Whitby Residents' Assocation refused my request to address them (twice). The councillors and officers considered my proposal in detail at a retreat at Masterton. There were long and careful discusisons. The result is we are implementing new procuedures. To see the details on these matters check the earlier blogs. I note that the councillor who Jim says he is supporting in the election, did not attend the critical Masterton session.
r
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

WHITBY NEWSBRIEF ARTICLE

Submission to the Whtby NewsBrief: Report on WRA AGM – Part 2 Facts or spin –

We want answers and accountability.

Last month we reported on the very successful and enlightening AGM but space prevented coverage of the meeting session that addressed the residents’ perception of Council’s performance and our loss of confidence with some councillors. The report continues.

The chairman reiterated the main points of the WRA’s submission on the Long Term Community Council Plan (LTCCP) and the consultation process. He expanded further on the issues raised in the February issue of WNB that have stirred Dr Blakeley, Council’s CEO, and Clr Shaw to respond in last month’s issue. At least it seems we have gained their attention.

WRA is not alone in believing that the consultation process as currently applied is a sham. Those views are shared by the other RAs in Porirua and gained over many years. According to Dr Blakeley, we are all wrong. He is of course right in the sense that the “process” steps through the procedure according to the planned timetable but, if ultimately the Council only “listens” to those who say what it wants to “hear”, the end result is indeed a sham. At the AGM our councillors assured us they listened but the LTCCP outcome leaves us unconvinced that we were taken seriously bearing in mind the weight of community support expressed in our survey of residents. Sometimes I wonder if we and Dr Blakeley are reading from the same LTCCP. On page 63 it shows “Average effects on ratepayers” as annual percentage increases over the first five years of the plan They are 7.9, 5.3*, 5.1, 2.2 and 5.0% and those figures already take account of increases in the rating base. That compounds to an increase of 28%. Allowing for inflation of 2.5% pa (compounds to 13% over five years) means we can expect rates increase over five year of 15% over baseline inflation but Dr Blakeley still says we are wrong!

Add the 6% increase in residential rates in 2005/06 means that rates will have increased by one third in six years or 18.5% ahead of baseline inflation. Are you happy with that?? Anyone who believes Council will stem spending to recover this back to just baseline inflation during the last five years of the plan is living in Cloud Cuckoo Land but that is exactly what Dr Blakeley (and Council) asks us to believe. At the AGM Councillors with the exception of Clr Green seemed unable to grasp this issue or explain why our projections are wrong. [* Note: the Draft Annual Plan for 2007/08 now shows residential rates increasing by 4.7%, so we should at least be greatful for this small movement in the right direction.]

A recent paper written by Dr Blakeley and adopted by Council has three telling statements in it - “Cost pressures on Council are currently unsustainable” - “Council was alerted to fiscal situation early in 2005” - “Even a trading surplus by $5M would still place Porirua below the average for local authorities.” A 15% increase in rates would be required to create such a surplus. Of course Council could cut costs but what evidence from the past would give us any confidence they have the intestinal fortitude to do that? What is more disturbing is that there is no urgency to actually DO anything until the next LTCCP review in mid 2009. WRA have expressed concern that a majority sub-group of councillors caucused together on a regular basis. We therefore accept Clr Shaw’s assurance along with the other councillors, who are members of this group, that it is merely a discussion forum. Our concern would be lessened if all councillors, including our Mayor, were invited to these informal meetings. However, if this group is secretly deciding to block vote in a prearranged way as similar groups have done in the past, then it is a travesty of democracy and has no place in local authority governance (and that is no fairy tale as Clr Shaw suggests). Our next public meeting will be at St Mary’s Church starting at 7.30pm on Wednesday 23 May. The Whitby Village Plan is the main topic of discussion and is important to every household and resident. You are assured of an interesting meeting. Keep an eye on our notice board in the Whitby Mall

ken douglas appointment

1 May, 2007 Media Statement

New Chair at Whanganui DHB, new Deputy Chair at Capital & Coast DHB. Health Minister Pete Hodgson has announced the appointment of a new chair at Whanganui District Health Board (DHB) and a new deputy chair at Capital & Coast DHB. Pete Hodgson said he welcomed the appointments of Kate Joblin and Ken Douglas as chair and deputy chair of Whanganui and Capital & Coast DHBs respectively. Both Kate Joblin’s and Ken Douglas’ terms of office commence on 3 May 2007.

"Kate Joblin and Ken Douglas will bring substantial governance and managerial experience to their positions through their previous roles. I look forward to working with both of them to improve health outcomes for the residents of Capital & Coast and Wanganui," Pete Hodgson said.

Kate Joblin is a Wanganui-based self-employed chartered accountant. She has extensive senior management experience in both the private and public sectors. Kate Joblin is involved as a director in local health and education organisations in Wanganui and is currently an appointed member of Whanganui DHB. She is a director of Nazareth Rest Home Ltd, Quinlan Court Ltd, Whanganui City Health, Whanganui Accident and Medical Ltd, and Kate Joblin & Co Ltd. She also chairs Aubert Home of Compassion Ltd and is a trustee of ‘Life to the Max’.

Ken Douglas, ONZ JP, is an established company director with extensive experience in the management, governance and business areas. He was elected as a member of the Capital & Coast DHB in 2004. He has been a life long trade unionist. Over the last six years he has been an elected member of the Porirua City Council and director of several of New Zealand’s largest companies, including Air New Zealand and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. He is currently chair of Positively Wellington Business and deputy chair of New Zealand Post. Pete Hodgson particularly thanked outgoing chair Dr Patrick O'Connor for his governance and hard work in heading Whanganui for the past two-and-a-half years and was pleased Dr O'Connor would continue to serve the people of Wanganui. "I acknowledge the efforts of Dr Patrick O’Connor and thank him for continuing on as a board member," Pete Hodgson says.

PLIMMERTON VILLAGE PLANNING – PROMENADE UPDATE

For those new to our community and for those who are tracking our progress, we enclose a very brief background on this project:

2001 PCC contracted the Isthmus Group to do scoping study of Plimmerton Village

2002 Indicative costings were developed for various projects but there was no implementation

2002 Local Government Act required a different approach to long term strategy and community consultation

 2003 -2004 Plimmerton Residents Association took the opportunity to conduct an extensive review of their community. 23 street meetings were held involving over 300 people. The PRA wanted  to determine what key factors people would like to see in a forward looking vision for Plimmerton. They needed to know they were making their best attempt at genuinely reflecting what people wanted. Information gathered was collated and fed back to the community for further input. Information about the community as gathered from the Census was factored in to community planning.

2004 Findings were presented to Council as The Plimmerton Promenade Project. In a nutshell at every meeting people expressed overwhelming concern that roading issues viz. traffic safety, flow , density and parking were paramount. They said that despite the very special character and atmosphere in the village that the streetscape was tired and run down. They asked for consistent design and planned development to permeate the whole community

2005 Consultation for possible Village Plans city wide began. Plimmerton requested a way forward to help achieve the vision. On going community consultation occured.

2006 Landscape architect , Louise Dunning was appointed to coordinate ideas and draw up concept plans with community groups. We submitted our applications for funding for Stage 1 – SH1 to the fire station. $400,000.00 was allocated by Council for this initial development.

2007 Stage 1 detailed design drawings were completed from the concept plans. Tenders were let and Works Infrastructure began Stage 1 implementation which is in progress. To this point there has been widespread consultation with some community members having attended over 80 meetings this far in the process. We have been able to

A Landscape architect has been contracted  by Council to draw up detail plans for planting and the entrance into Plimmerton.

The continuation of the Steyne Avenue fenceline is still being negotiated with Ontrack.

2007 For the 8th year we have continued working with Ontrack and the Greater Wellington Regional Council to provide both an underpass through to the Domain and improved parking. We have not been able to pursue an underpass from the school due to engineering concerns regarding flooding. However a continuation of an underpass from Steyne Avenue through to the Domain is the plan with extensive parking able to be developed on the other side. This we hope will enable parents to drop their children off safely on the Domain side, allowing them a wee walk round to school and avoid the need to use Steyne Avenue during peak times. It will also enable hugely increased area for park and ride. Here’s hoping the decision on this is not far off. GWRC have allocated the funding from this years budget.

Contributed by Helen Chipper

new dompost reporter for porirua

At some stage I will have to list the DomPost reporters who have worked in, or on, Porirua City. There is a long line of them, many in more senior postions new. It was a loss to our city when the Post closed its Hagley Street office. Here is the new one, and you can contact him with your news:

Hi Robert
Nice talking with you this afternoon. My contact details are below.
cheers
Dave Burgess
Reporter The Dominion Post 40 Boulcott St PO Box 3740 Wellington Phone: 474 0139 Fax: 474 0350 E-mail: dave.burgess@dompost.co.nz

plimmerton agm

Ian Athfield Athfield Architects Wellington

Dear Ian

Thanks so much for agreeing to be Guest Speaker at our Plimmerton Residents’ Assn AGM on the evening of Monday 28 May – we are truly delighted! We thought of you especially since there has been a little local fuss recently over the “gentrification” of Plimmerton, We’re keen to learn from you how we might blend the heritage and lifestyle of our traditional seaside village with inevitable change and modernity. Your fame and expertise for sensitivity to the physical environment in your architecture and urban design – and your promotion of “neighbourliness” – are all reasons why we’re sure you can help guide us. If you agree I suggest you could give us a brief talk on some relevant issues – say 15 minutes – and then we might invite questions from the floor for further discussion. I’ll be chairing the meeting which will start at 7.30pm in the Plimmerton Pavilion (opposite the Fire Station). Please email or phone me with any queries. We look forward to seeing you here in Plimmerton on Monday 28 May.
Warm regards Tim Sheppard For Plimmerton Residents’ Assn Inc.

election campaign - whitby

From: Robert Shaw

To: JIm.Dearsly

Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 10:07 PM

Subject: Re: WRA - Public Meeting - Whitby Plan and other matters

Jim this is rather obviously a campaign meeting.
r


JIm.Dearsly wrote:

 

Dear Mayor and N. Ward Councillors,

On behalf of the WRA committee, I invite you to attend a public meeting on 23 May starting at 7.30pm in St Mary's Church, Whitby shopping centre.

The main purpose of the meeting is to discuss the Whitby Village Plan. From Thursday this week we have a display of information seeking input and ideas. In the week prior to the meeting we will have the display manned to encourage participation in the process and attendance at the meeting. This is clearly a beginning and more communication and meetings will follow over the next few months.

 

John Green has been asked to talk to us about the issues ahead for Porirua and Whitby from his viewpoint as a councillor. John has been a great connect for the WRA and has been in touch with Whitby matters over many years.

Tim Shepherds of PRA is also talking to us on Plimmerton issues and in particular those we have in common with other RAs.

 

I believe it will be an interesting meeting and one where other councillors along with residents can contribute to discussion.

 

The invitation to attend it also extended to other PCC Councillors and copy addressees.

 

Regards to all

Jim

police action

council recovering costs issue

Tim  I was not questioning your right to ask elected members the question,
and indeed I applaud such an active interest in Council affairs by people
such as yourself.
 
I was responding to your use of words like "rubber stamping" by Councillors,
"PCC charges are not soundly or logically based", and "I don't think there
is a very professional process". That goes a lot further than asking
questions-you are making some value judgments, and you are entitled to
express your opinion if that is what you feel, but  don't expect me not to
react if you make those kind of statements without having your facts right.
 
I agree with your comments on  water meters.  You may have noticed the
comment by the Porirua Citizens' Group in its submission on the Rating
Inquiry (now available on the PCC website):
 
 " The implementation of full environmental cost pricing would require both
metering of water supplies and agreement on a methodology for charging for
waste water, as well as developing acceptable methodology for determining
and valuing the negative impact on the environment of waste water.  Further
issues would include determining how the "excess" revenue would be applied,
public resistance to charging for water services and how to deal with equity
issues - for example the impact on low income households.

 " There is already a well-documented relationship between charging and
demand for water.  Typically, charging for water by meter reduces demand by
something in the order of 20% to 30%.  That is, if people are aware of the
costs of the use of water, they are likely to be more careful and less
wasteful.  It would fit well with the statutory responsibility which local
authorities now have for promoting community wellbeing, including
environmental wellbeing, to use a full environmental cost pricing approach.


 " There would be a significant cost of installing water meters for many
local authorities.  However, this would be expected to be a relatively
short-term impact, because the cost would be offset by reduced capital
expenditure on new infrastructure in the medium to long term, as pricing
reduces growth in demand " .  

Regards, 
Roger

Roger Blakeley 
Chief Executive 
Porirua City Council 
Phone: +64 4 237 1401 

rate issues

April 16, 2007

BOLD MOVE REQUIRED ON RATES SAYS STEERING GROUP

A top level Porirua Steering group into rates says the current system of funding local authorities is “fatally flawed” and that a new system based on Central Government income tax or GST should be introduced.

“We know this is a radical approach, but the days of property tax are over,” says Steering Group member and former Porirua City Council CE John Seddon.

The group took the position that while the current property tax may have been appropriate in the pioneering days of the country, now that the services of local government were directed towards people, not property, it no longer made sense to tax property and not people.

The six member Steering Group comprised John Seddon, Trevor Roberts, John Watson, Margaret Guthrie, Alan Gray and Porirua Mayor Jenny Brash.

The group was set up late last year to canvass local opinion on the current rating-based system, look at alternatives and prepare a submission for the Government Inquiry into Local Body funding.

A member of the group, Mr Trevor Roberts said public feedback through submissions strongly supported the view that the current property tax-based system was neither fair nor affordable; that the current rating system did not meet the normal tests for taxation of efficiency, simplicity, transparency, sustainability and fairness, and that improvements were needed.

In a report prepared for the Independent Rating Inquiry set up by Government, the Steering Group says it is clear the focus of local government has been considerably widened over the years and is now much wider than just “flood protection, transportation, refuse disposal and drinkable water supplies.”

Much of what councils did now was people related and therefore it made sense the funding system reflected this.

To this end, the Steering Group said local authorities should be funded either through Central Government income tax or GST and that the new system be phased in over a number of years.

The Group was open minded about how the general revenue should be allocated.

It said the revenue sharing mechanism should have certainty, independence and backed by legislation.

Mr Roberts said the Group had not taken a position on whether the general revenue sharing should be through income tax or GST. Both had advantages.

The Group also recommended among other things that:

The Steering Group’s full report has been forwarded to the Independent Inquiry for consideration.

labour's mayoral candidate

Watch for the Labour Party to announce Selwyn Katene as their mayoral candidate.You read it first on the Porirua Wellington Web Blog. This has implications for mayoral candidate Liz Kelly who is from the same marae.
r
Thursday, April 12, 2007

information evening - plan change

all the best for easter everyone

All the best for Easter everyone. Great weather in Porirua City. The roads seem to be working far better than in previous years. I have spent some of Easter developing a website for another organisation that takes my time. Check out The Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia.
r
Sunday, April 8, 2007

FEES AND CHARGES

Dear Councillors

You’ll probably have seen today’s Sunday Star-Times with a list of all Council charges for a LIM report. PCC charges one of the lowest fees for this service – so much lower than most councils that I seriously question whether Porirua is recovering the basic costs involved.

Please could I ask that all user fees and charges be reviewed in depth to ensure there is no cross-subsidisation from rates and that they reflect fully the inherent market signals which they are meant to? It seems PCC charges property owners only $120 for a LIM report whereas adjacent councils charge $300 (Wellington and Hutt) and $220 (Kapiti). The discrepancy is so large that one must infer either that all the others are grossly over-charging or PCC is not covering costs.

I’d like to bet it’s the latter – and that means that the general ratepayer is subsidising pointlessly the purchasers of LIM reports. I’ve often talked to you before about user fees and charges and my feeling is that many other PCC charges are not soundly or logically based. The impression I have is that Council simply rubber-stamps each year the fees suggested by officers and these suggestions are largely based on whatever fees had been charged the previous year. I don’t think that’s a very professional process and I urge you to undertake a comprehensive and in-depth review of all charges – including consideration of other potential areas for the introduction of user fees. Just as one example I suggest it is time to encourage more widespread use of water meters so that everyone has an awareness of the real cost of cleaning their big SUVs twice a week; filling their spa pools; watering their fancy gardens, etc.

Regards Tim Sheppard

ROBERT COMMENTS

Always nice to hear from Tim. I will check out the history of the LIM report costs, but I think there is a reason why we are on the low side.

In the meeting round before last Council adjusted fees and charges. This is a regular action over the whole range of charges. The advice from the officers was actually not accepted first by myself as chairperson, and then by the Committee itself. And, then again at the full council meeting when I moved the recommendation of the committee, this was itself adjusted.It is usual to have strong debate about the level of fees and charges.

Regarding the sound and logical base for fees and charges: this is what is worked out by each council in its formal funding policy. There are certain factors that have to be considered by law (eg the principle of "user pays" was a controversial principle in Porirua City). Some of the services provided by council are full cost recovery and others are at different percentage recoveries.

There were two main points that I made during the debate. First, Council must always adjust its charges in line with inflation. Councillors can prefer to take the easy path and not put up charges. This was the case in our Council until quite recently, and it had several bad effects - but they have been rectifed now. We are keeping up with inflation as it happens. Second, Counckl must try to maintain the comparability between charges that has evolved. This second matter is about not bringing about unexpected effects. For example, if you put the cost of tailors at the landfill up and keep the cost of cars the same, everyone turns up with their rubbish in their cars. If there is a charge for inorganic collections - rubbish is dumped everywhere.

One area where Porirua City's charges are higher than most places (particularly other cities in our region) is in the development levies imposed on developers of land. We have consistently taken a very hard line with developers and some will remember this landing us in Court recently (where we won). I believe we need to maintain very high standards in the provision of services to new subdivisions and this entails the development and protection of our green areas and the provision of infrastructure of all kinds. This is in contrast to the approach taken to the ordinary person who wants to buy a house in our City (more on the LIM charges when I have the data).

The imposition of water meters on the city is an interesting idea. The regional council is working towards this policy for us all. They visited your Council about nine months ago and set out their views. Also, the Wellington Regional Strategy gave a push to the idea of universal water meters. Actually, the policy is absurd for our situation. Wellington takes its water from rivers that flow, and we do not have dams. Some people will remember Bill Taylor's petition that I supported. It opposed water meters over a decade ago (see detail below).

Thanks to Tim for his thoughts, and regards to all. Comments welcome as usual.
r

JOHN WATSON PROVIDES DETAILS ON THE WATER METER PETITION THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN

It was Bill Taylor and John Watson who presented the petition. I was by that time on the Council. Bill was a councillor for Pukerua Bay although he retired from that position when Pukerua Bay was merged with Plimmerton. The northern ward was then much of the old Taupo ward and Pukerua Bay. Bill had a golf business at Paraparaumu and then bookshops in Tawa and elsewhere. He was also an important figure in the Pukeura Bay RSA. He is now retired at the Wairarapa. As John writes:

"We collected 3,713 signatures and the petition was presented to then CEO John Seddon in your presence by Bill Taylor and myself. "

The wording of the petition was:

TIM ASKS FOR MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHY THE IDEA OF WATER METERS IS A "NO GO"

Basically, you need to check out the special Act of Parliament that we have for Wellington's water supply. It has good features and bad features. Also, look at the business plan of GW for water. We are in a particularly fortunate position regarding our water supply. I will write more about this when time permits. It is my turn to cook dinner and I am being told to attend to that matter. Water is a worthwhile topic to discuss. Thanks Tim.
r

INFORMATION FROM PCC

 Tim
 
David Rolfe has provided the following comment on LIM charges.The cost of
providing a LIM is not reflected in the charge that Council makes. The
difficulty arises in how the true cost of providing a LIM is calculated. To
ascertain this would need a complex financial recording system that we do
not have. The cost of LIMs has been calculated on what is a "reasonable"
price that will encourage prospective house purchasers to apply for a LIM.
It is not a statutory requirement to obtain a LIM to accompany a house
purchase contract but it is strongly recommended. Having prospective house
purchasers obtain a LIM has advantages for the Council as frequently the
existance of illegal or unauthorised works becomes apparent. For this reason
Council has encouraged LIMs to be sought as this has a beneficial "public
good" aspect and the existence of this check of making sure that no illegal
works exist on a property has huge beneficial hidden financial advantages
for the Council of achieving compliance with building consent requirements .

 
A report is being prepared for the next Committee round on ERS fees and
charges and the cost of LIMs will be included. Comparisons can be misleading
as some of those other local authorities may recently have increased their
fees. 
 
Council's policy on fees can be found in the Long Term Council Community
Plan  , page 222 as part of the Revenue and Financing Policy. This was
agreed by Council after public consultation.  Our fees and charges are
regularly reviewed and reported to Council.  With respect, you do a
disservice to Council in suggesting that review of fees and charges is a
process of "rubber stamping" officers' advice. Neither am I impressed with
your allegations of lack of professionalism in the process or that PCC
charges are not soundly or logically based!  That is simply not true.
 
I hope this is helpful in answering your question.
 
Regards, Roger   

Roger Blakeley 
Chief Executive 
Porirua City Counci


TIM REPLIES

democracy

A recent story in a local newspaper proves how short are the memories of people. It says democracy has lessened in the council recently. I will not bother with a reply, but the truth is the exact opposite of that.

Those interested in current debate about the nature of democracy (and particularly citizenship) might be interested in a paper I wrote recently and a chapter for a UK book on the subject.

Robert's paper on democracy

Robert's book chapter on democracy

THAT DID NOT TAKE LONG - I AM ASKED WHAT WERE THE PROBLEMS IN THE COUNCIL BEFORE WE ALTERED OUR STRUCTURES

no change to the number of councillors

We have received the determination made by the Local Government Commission
setting out how Porirua City Council's representation will be made up at the
2007 local authority elections.  A copy of their full determination is
attached. 

 

In summary, the Local Government Commission has determined that for the
general election of the Porirua City Council, to be held on 13 October 2007,
the following representation arrangements will apply:

 

1)         Porirua City shall be divided into three wards. 

 

2)         Those three wards shall be:

 

            a)         the Northern Ward, comprising the area delineated on
SO Plan SO373881 deposited with Land Information New Zealand;

 

            b)         the Western Ward, comprising the area delineated on
SO Plan SO37895 deposited with Land Information New Zealand;

 

            c)         the Eastern Ward, comprising the area delineated on
SO Plan SO37882 deposited with Land Information New Zealand.

 

3)         Part of Ranui Heights will be transferred from the Eastern Ward
to the Western Ward to allow both wards to retain their current level of
representation (five and three councillors respectively) and comply with the
± 10% rule. The area concerned comprises 14 meshblocks and lies generally
between State Highway 1, Mungavin Avenue, Awatea Street and part of Arawhata
Street to a point before its junction with Marua Place, then running south
to the boundary with Wellington City. 

 
4)         The Council shall comprise the Mayor and 13 Councillors, elected
as follows:

            a)         5 councillors elected by the electors of the Northern
Ward;

            b)         3 councillors elected by the electors of the Western
Ward;

            c)         5 councillors elected by the electors of the Eastern
Ward;

5)         The Local Government Commission decided against establishing a
Titahi Bay Community Board at this time.

meeting notes

Plimmerton Residents’ Association Inc

Minutes of Meeting
held at Plimmerton Pavilion
on Monday, 26 February 2007 at 7.30pm

Present: Pip Piper Y
Meryl Harwood (Treasurer) N
Diane Sprowell (Secretary) Y
Helen Chipper Y
John Lambie (Chairperson) Y
Tim Sheppard Y
George McNeillage N
Barry Cook Y
Dave Anderson Y
Mescal Bradey N
David Sperry N
Sandra Werner N

Councillors: Euon Murrell Y
Maureen Gillon Y
Robert Shaw Y
John Green N
Sue Dow N

GWRC: Margaret Shields

Visitors: Pat Piper, Russell Black & Kevin Millard

1. Greetings
John Lambie (Chair) welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Apologies
Meryl Harwood, David Sperry, Sandra Werner & John Green
3. Committee Secretarial Function
Kevin Millard, a local Plimmerton resident has kindly agreed to take on the secretarial duties while Diane Sprowell takes some time out from the role.

4. Notice of any General Business items for end of meeting
Nil
5. Adoption of Minutes of Meeting held on 29 January 2007
Moved: HC Seconded: TS
6. Matters arising from minutes from previous meeting and report backs:
Village Strategy Final Plans
A meeting was held with Gordana Savic (PCC Officer) attended by RB & PP. RB provided a further copy of the Russell Kearse report re disabled access. Draft working drawings are available for Stage 1A from Plimmerton entrance to Queen/Bath Street. Now working on getting detail right and RB has consulted with Linda Kirkmeester and Carolyn Wallace (Aquavilla Bed & Breakfast). Gordana has now addressed a number of the items raised by RB who has no concerns at this stage and expects revised drawings by end of the week for signing off. RB asked how PRA would handle the sign off of the plans. HC suggested that we need a proper process for sign off and suggested that the PRA Committee authorises Russell Black to approve final plans on PRA behalf.

Moved: HC Seconded: TS Agreed unanimously.
HC thanked RB on behalf of the Committee for his efforts. The tender has been let and work is expected to begin next week.

PP advised there is a meeting next Monday re all Village strategies.

Art Trail

No progress as Darcy Nicholas away – have not been able to make a time to meet with him. HC advised a Committee is being formed to progress this project.

Report Backs:
Combined RA Meeting in Whitby
TS, PP & HC attended a meeting in Whitby to discuss the upcoming local body elections. Jim Dearsly is to write a letter on behalf of combined RAs to formally express interest in next election.

TS reported that the RAs want to see real competition for the various wards and invitations to all candidates would be issued to find out what their views are on various issues prior to the elections. Financial issues seen to be a major issue – back to basics approach seen to be necessary. Strong support for independent candidates (not affiliated to a political party).

MS (GWRC) advised that a decision is expected next month regarding combined constituency in regard to the Regional Council rather than having area representatives. If this eventuates, GWRC Councillors may be reduced in number.

Pole replacement on beach

Still waiting for response from GWRC re letter to Vector.

Regional Transport Strategy & Public Transport Plans
TS confirmed submission was lodged.

SH1 Upgrade Review
Draft Terms of Reference document was not accepted by Transit (Graham Taylor) – counter proposal awaited.

Commuter Carpark, Pedestrian Access & Mainline Steam
TS circulated emails to Committee prior to meeting. Advised that joint meeting to be held on 2 March involving all parties. It is hoped that this will lead to progress. Mainline Steam to be approached re plans for new building.

The issue of Plimmerton Station was discussed, particularly its future use – heritage building? Owner of building won’t spend any money on it – plan to replace with a modern structure. MS suggested we talk to John Porter at Paekakariki re utilisation of rail buildings and/or Euon McQueen (ex GWRC) who is still involved in rail issues. Important not to give building away until options for its future use are fully explored. Need a concrete proposal and commitment. TS undertook to report back at next meeting.

BC asked if new building south of Carhoots was to be notified. This was not known.

7 Steyne Avenue - Upgrade
Pleasing to see upgrade work being undertaken on flats including new cladding, windows, fire upgrade. Owners have 2 years to complete upgrade, but expect to complete it in 4-5 months. HC said that if Committee members receive complaints about noise etc while the upgrade work is in progress, need to reassure people that it is short term and will result in a safer, more attractive building in the village.

7. PRA Participation into enquiry into funding for Local Government Services
Public Discussion document was circulated to all residents by PCC. A brainstorming meeting is scheduled for 27th February at Pataka. After the meeting PRA will need to develop submission to PCC – what we would like them to say for their lead submission. PRA will also make a submission to Government – TS suggested Committee has an interim meeting to formulate submission, then circulate to Community database members for comment and input.

RS felt that Steering Group should make their own submission. Discussion followed on this issue.

Date for special Committee meeting – Sunday, 4th March at 10.00am at Tim’s house (78 Cluny Road).

8. Update – Resource Consent – 5 Sunset Parade
EM advised 79 submissions received (3 for). Application has been withdrawn temporarily to reassess his options. If developer comes back with revised proposal, consultation would take place with people making submissions.

PP reiterated need to put suburban review on high priority. PP asked PCC Councillors to re-prioritise suburban review. HC discussed with Russell Plume the rural review which has started which encompasses 80% of Porirua. Asked if PRA had been consulted – large rural area within Plimmerton. HC thinks we do not have the big picture, timeframes, consultation periods etc. Councillors agree that review of District Plan should proceed urgently. RS described the process to date. District Plan Strategy document being developed – expected to be completed by the end of 2007. MS thinks there is not enough consideration of what communities want. MG said that the Village Strategies began from the Mana upgrade and the perceived lack of community. Was based on Plimmerton model.

RS suggested we invite a Council Officer to a PRA meeting to discuss District Plan process. May help to progress issue. Written request to be sent to Roger Blakeley for the appropriate Council Officer to attend.

9. Heritage Review Project
Council Officer to be invited to attend next meeting to give an update.

10. Council Elections – 2007
Covered earlier in meeting.

11. PCC Councillors – Feedback on current issues
Euon Murrell –

§ Mainline Steam – advised that PCC expressed concerns on behalf of PRA.
§ Discussed attendance of Councillors at Council meetings and pros and cons of daytime vs evening meetings. Public forum is available before every evening meeting. Feels that daytime meetings are of a better quality and more productive – also suits Council Officers. EM stressed that Council workshops are now open to the public and there is a public forum available at the beginning of every evening meeting. There is also a strong move for all workshops to be open to public.

Maureen Gillon

§ No particular issues.

Robert Shaw

All issues covered during earlier part of meeting.

TS commented that the report from the PCC CEO on the process for review of cost and revenue structures for Council into the future was a very important, professional and well-structured paper. EM reported that whole management review of Council was almost completed.

12. Financial Report (MH)
HC presented financial report on MH behalf.
Moved HC Seconded JL Accepted unanimously.

13. Correspondence (accepted as tabled)
Inwards
§ Letter PCC dated 15 February 2007 re Pauatahanui Soldiers’ Memorial
§ PCOSS Panui Newsletter – February 2007
§ Letter PCC dated 16 February 2007 re Village Work Plan Planning Meeting on 5 March
§ Copy of Letter from Peter Evans to PCC dated 16 February 2007 re Seawall Damage

Outwards
§ Thank you letter to Claire Toynbee dated 9 February 2007
§ Community Database Email #19 re Rates Enquiry Meeting – 27 February at Pataka
§ Copy of Submission to PCC re land use at 5 Sunset Parade

14. News & Views & Monthly Newsletter (DS)
April issue. DS to begin preparation. Dave to assist DS with contacting advertisers. Committee asked to think about contributions. Need to use issue to lead into AGM in May. Agreed to defer producing newsletters until after the AGM – reassess then.

15. General Business
§ Speaker for AGM - Committee to bring ideas to next meeting.

§ Invitation received to the launch of Porirua Community Appeal Trust fundraising for new Porirua Sports & Events Centre. – 8 March – 5.30pm

16. Next Meeting Date:
26 March 2007 – Chairperson: Meryl Harwood

Meeting Closed at: 09.10 pm

Minutes taken by Diane Sprowell, Secretary

plimmerton village strategy progress

Good Morning

The following provides details of the current issues and the actions taken
to resolve them. Note I expect that there will be other issues as this is
the nature of village projects with high levels of community involvement. It
is important that community's expectations be achieved by these projects
because they are primary generators of the concepts and ideas. This also
means the Village projects have greater demands for consultation than other
projects that we would normally carry out.

There are two issues that were identified on Monday.

1	Decorative finish on thresholds, and
2	Landscape Planting

1  Decorative finish on Thresholds
	The concept plans showed a wave pattern as the decorative finish on
the thresholds. This was transferred into the final construction
drawings. The community representatives have expressed a wish that a 	fish
pattern now be used. This was an idea that was put forward in the
initial concept stage. Council officers thought that the idea had been
translated into a wave pattern the residents expected that there would 	be
further discussion at the final design stage. 
	
	The fish pattern is now being explored to see if it can be
practically 	implemented.

2	Landscape Planting
	The representatives of the Community were expecting Council to
design 	the planting and the Council officer had expected more details from
the Community Representatives before carrying out the design. This
misunderstand was identified on Monday and resolved. The planting
design is now going ahead. There is also some technical issues,
related to 	the electricity act, that limit the types of planting that
can 	go around power poles. This issue is now understood by both
parties.

Regards,


Peter Bailey

General Manager Utilities Policy
Porirua City Council
Cobham Court
PO Box 50-218
Porirua City
Wednesday March 28, 2007

from the left

coastal highway group media release

Kerry Prendergast has got it right

Kerry Prendergast is quite right in stating that Transmission Gully is unaffordable.  It is time for other local politicians to stop fooling the public with the promise of an unaffordable highway which would bring very little benefit to the region.

On present estimates there is a funding gap of $500 million.  Do the local MP’s believe that a Minister of Finance will come up with that sort of money?  Obviously the more pressing needs of Auckland will get priority.

So the only way the dream highway can be financed is by a hefty increase in regional rates.  Does Kapiti Mayoral hopeful Chris Turver favour such an increase which will fall heavily on Kapiti ratepayers?    Mr Turver is like a cracked record when he says that Transmission Gully can be completed in ten years.  He was saying exactly the same thing ten years ago and nothing has happened.  No doubt he will still be prattling in the same vein in ten years time and unless there is a change of thinking still nothing will have happened.

Peter Dunne has also joined the chorus and suggests that the coastal scheme is daft.  It is Peter Dunne who is daft if he thinks spending a huge amount on one monster project at the expense of any other roading developments will improve Wellington’s economic performance. 

Peter Dunne should come and take a look at the work being done to widen the coastal road in preparation for extensions to the safety fence.  This work has shown how simple it would be to add one or two more lanes without any significant environmental effects.  The widening is happening now and shows how it can be done without major interruptions to traffic flows.

Kerry Prendergast is the voice of common sense.  Other local politicians should stop saying what they think the public want to hear and start facing the facts.  Transmission Gully is certainly unaffordable without imposing an unacceptable tax hike on already overburdened ratepayers.  And the huge outlay would be much better spent on other projects including further upgrading of centennial highway.
Saturday March 24, 2007

fairy tales from duck creek

Over a year ago I became the chairperson of one of the Council’s two decision-making committees. Now to understand what I am about to tell you, you need to know a little about how the council actually works.

Anything that is decided by the Council is first developed as advice by the officers. They present their advice to the chairperson of the appropriate committee.  Having considered the officer’ advice the chairperson makes a recommendation to the committee. The committee then meets and the chairperson moves their recommendation as a motion, and way the debate goes.

Perhaps the most intense meetings at the council are those between the chairperson and the officers. I have changed and rejected officers’ recommendations. The result has been some re-focusing of the Council. The number of motions has been reduced dramatically, and there has been a much more firm distinction between governance and management.

Now when the recommendations of the chairperson were published before the meeting, the councillors had questions. Why did I recommend this, and not that? Can they do this? They began to telephone me, and there was a steady stream of them that I invited to my house to talk through issues. This went on for quite a while – whenever there was a new agenda.

It seemed sensible for those interested to meet at the same time and discuss things.  There evolved the habit of having a meeting in the weekend prior to the council meeting. Quite often when people did not agree with my recommendation I would suggest how they might frame an amendment to achieve what they wanted without upsetting the flow of decision-making.  This works fine. The majority vote subsequently decides the issue at the council table. No one committed themselves to any position in advance of the meeting. People had a chance to get their own ideas straight. You have to expect a divergence of opinion on a council.

So what has this to do with fairy tales from Duck Creek? It is just that last night, at a meeting in Whitby, I met about 30 people all convinced that these meetings were some kind of evil.

What a change for me: for most of my career on councils (city and regional) I have been accused of being a loner and too far apart from my councillor colleagues. “Robert, you have to learn to work with other people” they all said. Now, evidently, I am part of a conspiracy.

I am sorry the truth is so dull. Fact is, I think it a good idea that the councillors talk together and learn about the decisions they have to make. The quality of meetings depends on the quality of preparation by the participants. But, in the hands of those who want to find a conspiracy- to hang councillors - it is dynamite, or so they say in the dark depths of dank Duck Creek.
r
Thursday, 15 March 2007

management side - review

Date: March 18, 2007

Fax: (04) 237 1405
Tel:  (04) 237 5089

A review is underway into Council’s processes, systems, structures and organisational capacity, says Porirua City Council Chief Executive Dr Roger Blakeley.

“The primary focus is not cost cutting  ... it’s about improving the way we go about our business, about our capabilities and how we deliver services.

“One of the thrusts of the review is to improve asset management planning in the area of utilities, parks and open spaces and buildings. This is an area that covers more than half of Council’s expenditure.

“We also need to improve our operational processes with the goal of operational excellence, and to improve our front line service to customers.

“We also need to ensure Council is on a sustainable financial pathway into the future. We are under pressure from all quarters to provide services, but we also recognise that our ratepayers are highly rated.”

Dr Blakeley said consultants had produced a proposal which was presented to all staff last week.  Staff had been invited to comment on this proposal by April 5.

No decisions had been made on structuring at this stage. It was therefore too early to comment on the issue of potential redundancies.

“Certainly the proposal before us is designed to be fiscally neutral in the short term and provide medium to long term efficiency gains.”

Dr Blakeley said he expected the report to be finalised late April.

reply to whitby residents' association