Do we need a fresh approach to local government?
Terry Archer won the by-election in the NRC urban constituency with 1,671 out of 6,074 votes, with a 20.8% voter turnout. That means he was elected by 5.73% of eligible voters.
His predecessor John Bain resigned over his disagreement with a majority council vote to establish Māori constituencies, triggering the $80,000 by-election. He then - together with others - went to organise a petition to force a poll, which will most likely not go ahead if previously announced local government legislation is passed in Parliament.
A few years back councillors in our neighbouring district Kaipara were overwhelmed by the complexity of a wastewater scheme, that they were in no position to understand well enough to cast an informed vote on. Recently Invercargill City Council saw its long-standing mayor's competency being questioned and its deputy mayor resign, triggering another by-election. Tauranga's mayor resigned over irreconcilable differences around the council table, with a bunch of councillors being accused of holding the city back. Commissioners have now been installed, just like in Kaipara a few years back.
By and large many councillors lack the expertise to make tough decisions on an ever-increasing list of complex issues, and lack the time and ability to upskill themselves to be able to cope with this workload. Funding of major infrastructure deficits and the big unknowns ahead, particularly the looming threat of cost imposed by climate change adaptation, is uncertain. And we ratepayers expect and demand more than ever that rates should go down, while the property owners among us make $50 or more per day in tax-free capital gain by doing nothing.
Does anybody else think that we might need a fresh approach to local government, where informed decisions are made after listening to the experts, considering all the facts, and debating the pros and cons in a civilised and productive manner? Maybe by a Citizens' Assembly?
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.6% Summer
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35.9% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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