OCTOBER
WHIRINGA-A-NUKU 2024
ECB fights for its survival by Louise Parry The decision to disestablish community boards in Lower Hutt was based on a flawed review, according to the Eastbourne Community Board. ECB's appeal was one of several expected (the due date was extended beyond our deadline). Seventy nine submissions were earlier made in favour and 268 opposed community boards being disestablished. The board said the review panel based its argument for getting rid of the boards - formed following amalgamation in 1989 - on equality rather than fair and effective representations, as stated in the Local Electoral Act 2001 (LGA). Any community of interest is able to petition council for a community board to be established, although the ECB acknowledges this is not widely known – even by councillors. The panel classified communities of interest as young people (16-34 years), Pasifika, ethnic and migrant communities, disabled people and the rainbow community. However, the LGA defines communities of interest as based on locality. The panel’s “lack of experience and understanding of community boards was evident in the quality of its report”, based, as it was on limited delegations prescribed to the board, rather than the much wider range of work it is involved with. None of the members had experience with working with community boards, apart from chair Paul Swain, a past regional councillor – and he would have had limited exposure to the work of
Spring weather has proved to be unpredictable, as is usual, but there have been some beautiful sunsets such as this stunner, photographed by Stan Swan at Lion Rock.
community boards, Mrs Moss said. The board was frustrated that the wide breadth of work it does was discussed with panel members, but ignored in the final report. The panel’s argument that Community Boards are irrelevant in the twenty-first century was unsubstantiated, and the review did not examine the role of community boards in providing a bridge to “quality local representation”. The submission also said the panel had not posited any alternative, and councillors ignored the “significant support for community boards in submissions”. Moreover, HCC did not adequately advise residents about the proposal
to disestablish community boards, relying on The Hutt News, which is not delivered to all of Eastbourne, to publish Public Notices alerting residents to the possibility – something mandated under the LGA. “We’re really disappointed in the decision. Community boards are such a great way to have local representation, especially if Hutt City is amalgamated into a larger, regional council,” Mrs Moss said. However, she is encouraged by the success of community boards in fighting their demise, such as in Kapiti Coast. “I’d like to think we have some good arguments, but it’s in the hands of LGNZ now”.