Local voice could be lost in unitary authority – mayors
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
North Canterbury’s three mayors fear local democracy could be lost amid talk of a ‘‘super city’’.
The mayors were responding to the Christchurch City Council’s submission on the draft future for local government report, where it advocated for the city to become a unitary authority.
A unitary authority would incorporate the power and responsibility of a regional council.
There are just six unitary authorities in New Zealand – Auckland, Gisborne, Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman and the Chatham Islands.
Given the close relationship between the Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri councils, the prospect of a Greater Christchurch unitary authority has been mooted.
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said he was surprised to hear of the city council’s submission, but there was no appetite for amalgamation.
‘‘One of the biggest challenges if you have a unitary authority is where would the boundaries be and who would look after the rivers.
‘‘Canterbury stretches from Waitaki to Kaikōura and rivers are often the boundaries between districts, so who would look after the rivers which sit on the boundaries between districts.
‘‘We don’t agree with everything Environment Canterbury does, but we have a good relationship.’’
Hurunui mayor Marie Black said a unitary authority would ‘‘rob our communities of the voices that we have been advocating for across all the reform process’’.
‘‘A super city is an interesting concept as where would you draw the boundaries and how does this capture the place of belonging, which is very much a feature of how we relate to our community and our people.
‘‘I would not see that a unitary authority would bring value to a district like the Hurunui.’’
Kaikōura mayor Craig Mackle said he was not surprised to hear of the Christchurch submission, but he feared a unitary authority could leave Hurunui and Kaikōura out on their own.
‘‘I was guessing they were going to have crack at it.
‘‘I don’t see we would be any better off. All I can see is the big players demanding what they want.’’
If there was going to be any amalgamation, Mackle said he could live with a partnership between Kaikōura, Hurunui and Waimakariri.
But his preference was for the status quo.
‘‘We do work in with Hurunui and we have good relationships across North Canterbury.’’
In its submission, Environment Canterbury suggested the differences between regional councils and city and district councils ‘‘could be better articulated and considered’’.
Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
-
48.1% Yes
-
50% No
-
1.9% Other - I'll share below
Here's Thursday's thinker!
I am lighter than air, but a hundred people cannot lift me. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
Loading…
