Waimakariri council debates reforms
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Government reform was on top of the agenda at a Waimakariri District Council meeting on Tuesday, February 7.
Councillors debated submissions on the draft future of local government report, and two Three Waters reform bills.
In a draft submission prepared by senior policy analyst Temi Allinson, the council advocated for five year long term plans, supported the concept of ‘‘citizen-led participatory democracy’’, called for stronger relations between central and local government, and reiterated concern for ‘‘unfunded mandates’’.
The council chose not to give feedback on the proposal to lower the voting age to 16 in its submission.
‘‘We decided it was a matter we didn’t need to have a view on,’’ mayor Dan Gordon said.
‘‘It is before the courts, and really it is a matter for the government.’’
The Water Services Legislation Bill and the Water Services Economic Efficiency and Consumer Protection Bill caused considerable discussion with councillors raising a number of concerns.
Cr Joan Ward questioned how creating additional bureaucracy would led to lower costs.
She said the council needed to re-enforce its opposition to the proposed reforms, and she expressed concerned about the lack of transparency in the draft legislation.
She noted there was no reference in the bills requiring the new entities to be audited by Audit New Zealand.
Cr Jason Goldsworthy questioned whether the Commerce Commission was the right body to have oversight over the new Three Waters entities, as proposed in the legislation.
He noted the Commerce Commission had found concerns with the supermarket duopoly model, so how could an entity with a monopoly over three waters be subject to market competition?
Deputy mayor Neville Atkinson said the Commerce Commission was not the right body to have oversight of Three Waters.
‘‘It needs to have the Auditor-General over the top of it.’’
Cr Niki Mealings noted there was no guarantee for drinking water to be supplied in the proposed legislation, if it was to be treated like other utilities such as power or phone.
‘‘Will people get their water cut off if they can’t pay their bill?’’
Cr Philip Redmond noted the proposed legislation did not address the question of ownership of water.
‘‘Is that a deliberate omission? There are differing views on what ownership of water means and I wonder if this bill is opening the way for an alternative to come in.’’
Submissions on the draft future of local government report close on February 28, while the Three Waters reforms submissions close on February 12.
■ Public interest journalism is funded by New Zealand on Air.
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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).
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Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
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......
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