Ohakune Town Plan

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 13, 30 August 1983, Page 1

Ohakune Town Plan

Town Planning should not be a question of win, lose or draw, the impression of which could be gained from reading the front page of your issue no. 12 (Tuesday 23 August 1983). Town Planning should not be a contest in which there are winners, losers or drawers (those who beat each other to a standstill??). fcather it should be a con^ultative process during which it is possible for everyone to express their views without being held up to ridicule. It would seem that unless some very positive steps are taken, Town Planning in Ohakune has every chance of developing into such a contest. A contest with no winners (except perhaps the legal profession) but many losers. Council (the Bo rough) would lose because of tarnished image; Councillors will lose because of loss of credibility; ratepayers will lose because of the expense they have to bear as will others ^:ho are faced with the ^pavy legal costs incurred during such a contest. The first step toward such positive action wOuld be for Council to make more use of the consultative process before proceeding to "confrontation". To be specific, in a community such as Ohakune, indeed in any community, it would be appropriate for Council, when considering a major change to the District Planning Scheme (which the Ohakune Borough Council has done twice in the last 12 months) to call a public meeting to discuss the pro's and con's of the proposal before formally notifying it's intention to proceed. If this course was adopted there would be a much greater chance of the formal action being just

that, a mere formality, without expensive hearings and even more costly appeals. Surely this would be a much more democratic, sensible, and peaceful way of going about such an exercise than the course recently adopted by Council. Not only that, everyone would be more fully informed and better off. Council (the Borough) would -enhance it's image and Councillors would improve their credibility. Both would improve their public relations. Ratepayers could well be spared unnecessary expense as would those others who may be saved the cost of expensive legal and other representation at hearings and appeals. Worth a try don't you think?

John T.

Gould