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Friday 7 August 2020
Local board submissions due
Submissions on the Local Government Commission’s consultation document close next Friday. Photo: Jo Richards. JO RICHARDS
There is only one week to go before submissions close in the Local Government Commission’s (LGC) consultation on a Golden Bay Local Board. As the community weighs up the pros and cons of a change in local government structure, it essentially boils down to a simple question: Are potential improvements in local decision-making and budgetary spending worth paying for? The answer, however, is complex, as a lack of clear information on costs and benefits makes a rational analysis problematic. As in many policy decisions, the intangible and/or long-term benefits have to be weighed against short-term tangible financial costs. Despite the difficulty, the arguments can be explored by examining each of the three options listed on the LGC’s submission form: 1. Support the retention of existing arrangements, ie community boards (not local boards), in Golden Bay and Motueka. This would maintain the status quo, allowing TDC to retain a high degree of control
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over Golden Bay’s decision-making and spending. But there could be some loosening of the reins; the council’s submission to the LGC (available on TDC website), states additional responsibilities could be granted: “The existing community board is empowered with a number of decision-making responsibilities, and these are always open for expansion where legislation allows.” Golden Bay ward councillors Celia Butler and Chris Hill, along with community board member Grant Knowles, have all stated publicly that the community board could do a lot more, but despite these sentiments, and despite a recommendation from the LGC in 2007, there has been little meaningful expansion of the community board’s portfolio of responsibilities since its inception. When TDC has agreed to extend community involvement, Golden Bay Local Board Working Group secretary Tony Lawton says it’s rarely been about making decisions. “I was involved with a request to TDC for delegation of Port Tarakohe to be managed by our community in conjunction with the
community board in 2014. TDC’s response was to set up another advisory board for the port. Advice isn’t decision-making. Delegations only work if there is an excellent relationship between the community and council, and the budget to perform the delegations is also delegated.” It’s clear from its submission that TDC would be happy to retain the current community board, stating: “The council believes there currently is an appropriate balance between local decision-making and district-wide decision-making, especially given the way in which activities are funded.” 2. Support the option of a Golden Bay Local Board One of the key differences between a community board and a local board is that delegations made to the former can be withdrawn by council on a whim, whereas allocations made to the latter can only be reversed if both parties agree. The democratic advantages of a local board, listed by the LGC in its consultation document, include better... Continued on page 2
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Water chlorination JO RICHARDS
Tasman District Council’s consultation on its proposal to chlorinate several council-owned water supplies opened on Tuesday this week. Most of the district’s water supplies are already chlorinated, but council is proposing to permanently chlorinate the remainder – which for Golden Bay involves the schemes in Upper Takaka and Hamama. The proposal to chlorinate was prompted by the findings of a Government inquiry into the 2016 gastroenteritis outbreak in Havelock North where the town’s drinking water supply became contaminated with Campylobacter. As a result of the incident, 5,500 people became ill and 45 people were hospitalised. The outbreak is also thought to have contributed to four deaths. The Government inquiry’s final report, published in 2017, outlined several recommendations to prevent a recurrence. These focused on six principles that all councils need to conform with and embed in their practices. One of the key principles, is to establish a multi-barrier approach to prevent contamination – because water sources can be affected by a range of contaminants that may make it unsafe to drink or look and smell unappealing. A multi-barrier approach uses several methods to treat water, including source protection, filtration, ultraviolet treatment and chlorination (residual disinfection). Chlorine is widely used for residual disinfection because it efficiently kills pathogenic microorganisms, preventing them from causing disease. And because it remains in the water supply as it flows through the network of pipes and reservoirs to the last household tap. The taste and odour of chlorinated water, as well as its physiological effects, are of concern to some consumers, but there are steps that can be taken to counter such impacts – and some of these are mentioned in the consultation document. TDC has organised public information meetings across the district to discuss the proposal. The Golden Bay session is scheduled for Tuesday 25 August, 5.30-7pm at Upper Takaka Community Hall. Submissions can be made online at the TDC website, or via email or post. Details are published in the consultation document, which is available online from the council’s website, as well as in hard copy from TDC’s Takaka Service Centre and the Memorial Library. Submissions close on 4 September.
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Inside: BBBS launch Book review Cycleway extends Hockey’s new home THE GB WEEKLY, FRIDAY 7 AUGUST 2020
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