Retiring councillor speaks out

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 15, 9 September 1986, Page 7

Retiring councillor speaks out

Retiring Raetihi Borough councillor Andrew Cornwall recently commented on his reasons for not standing for another term on council. Much of what he has to say concerns the frustrations and disillusionment of working through councils and administrations which are now too small to handle their given tasks in today's world. "I am concerned that the benefits that amalgamation would bring to the community at large are not understood. "1 have always considered that we live in one community, apart from the aberration that we have to live under three local authorities. "It is ridiculous that a community of this size has three authorities, where there has been in the past three of everything - three town planners, three engineers, there has been some rationalisation, but there is still duplication of consultants and advisors, and this means a lack of consistency, higher costs and means things are not being done which ought to be done," he said. Mr Cornwall said it was unfortunate that Fred Spindley, the former district clerk with Waipukurau County, who acted as independent chairman in amalgamation negotiations, had talked of the costs of amalgamation but not so much of savings. "This argument was then taken up by those opposed to amalgamation along the lines of, 'because there is pressure on rates we can't do it...'

"In fact the benefits of one administration, the savings of the one body, I believe could be over $100,000 per year." Mr Cornwall said that the biggest problem faced by the three authorities was their abiilty in the future to attract competent, qualified staff. This difficulty would be ameliorated through amalgamation into one district council. "There are certain people who I believe have been politically grandstanding and posturing to cause delays, offering the most irrational reasons against amalgamation." Mr Cornwall spoke of the frustrations of working in an environment where some cpuncillors found delegation difficult. "Our joint administration here is under continual pressure by councillors taking up large amounts of administrative time, because they haven't learnt to delegate. "The role of the council is to set policy and monitor its implementation, not to do the work or to sit in council offices day in and day out, preventing the staff getting on with their work." Mr Cornwall mentioned his further annoyance at the inability of the three councils to jointly look at the community's needs and do something about them. In particular the issues of the establishment of a local airport and the upkeep of the Ohakune Mountain Road concerned him. "The county says the Mountain Road is nothing to do with them or their ratepayers and refuse to pay

any contribution, but the skifield is not the only beneficiary — tourism it an integral part of the whole economy of the district. This attitude is further reflected in the way the boroughs look upon out of town property owners as merely being a source of rating revenue rather than being part of the ^ larger community. "In the midst of the biggest rural downturn since the 1930s depression this community is not feeling pain that other similar communities are feeling round the country, and this is due to tourism and forestry - we are no longer merely a farming community. Mr Cornwall said he had been asked many times why he was not standing again. "My spare time is precious, and if 1 feel I am not achieving something then

my energy is better put elsewhere. "There is the inconsistency of council policy. I believe decisions should be carried through unless there are good reasons why not. "There is the town planning shambles, which applies to all authorities. There should be only one town plan for the district, not three." "The comments made are not made in a negative sense, but rather hoping that common sense and reason will prevail. "I have an enormous'condidence in the future of the district and its people - I wouldn't be here if I didn't. "We work together, we play together, we shop together, we pray together - why can't we have one council for the whole community."