OUR VIEW

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 261, 1 November 1988, Page 5

OUR VIEW

by

Robert

Milne

The practice of reading long and boring reports aloud to councillors and the public at meetings has probably been around for as long as there have been councils. But that really isn't any reason to carry on, especially when those who attend such meetings have copies, and reading glasses, in front of them. An ingenious innovation would be to allow councillors the benefit of the doubt and assume they can read. The practice doesn't crop up too much at Waimarino council meetings and when it does some councillors seem to enjoy it (and the reporters no doubt deserve it). But at last week's full council meeting a case of it took the cake. Mayor Workman had told councillors and visitors that the normal part of the meeting needed to be short and sweet to allow time for a general discussion on amalgamation with visitors from Waiouru. Soon after, the district engineer Don Sattler was somehow put into the position of having to read the conditions of, tender for the Waimarino rubbish collection, and no one allowed him to stop. There may have been good reason for having councillors and half a dozen visitors hear how often the tip face at Raetihi must be bulldozed but, judging by the body language of those present, the reason was lost among dozing of the sleepy kind. Most of the Waimarino council meetings are reasonably efficient. The assumption that councillors can read could add to that efficiency.