Local bodies which set an example

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33314, 27 August 1973, Page 16

Local bodies which set an example

Until the Minister of Local Government (Mr May) translates his intentions for local government reform into draft legislation, local authorities can only guess at what may be required or permitted in future. But the nine regional councils in North Canterbury, between the Waimakariri and Hurunui Rivers, have shown that voluntary discussions —without prompting from legislation or from a strengthened Local Government Commission — can achieve impressive results. The opinions of the elected representatives of 30,000 people scattered over a considerable area do not always coincide; some of the councils do not accept the idea of a regional council which would link their powers over an increasing range of activities —but none has positively rejected it. Even if the councils are to some extent acting to forestall Government direction from legislation which is expected to be placed before Parliament in the next few weeks, they have taken the voluntary action which Mr May has indicated he strongly favours. They have earned a right to be heard in any conclusions they reach.

The dilemmas of the North Canterbury local authorities reflect those of many similar organisations throughout the country. There is much appreciation of the technical and financial benefits of co-operation, but an equal awareness that no scheme will receive the support of ratepayers if it does not take account of local interests. The North Canterbury councils, are working tentatively towards the kind of loose federation, while maintaining local autonomy over essential services, which should be acceptable to a majority of ratepayers. Their fear of being absorbed under the umbrella of an enlarged Christchurch Regional Planning Authority — something suggested by the Minister of Works (Mr Watt) —is matched by their determination not to be drawn into any larger grouping of Christchurch local bodies where the unfortunate intrusion of party politics into local body affairs is all too endent

Perhaps the knowledge of possible duress from central Government has encouraged the coming together of North Canterbury councils; but their clear desire not to be dominated by any urban-based authority, their readiness to work together in the best interests of the area, and their readiness to function as true “local bodies”, concerned for the well-being of local interests, sets a standard which other territorial local authorities in Canterbury, and indeed in the whole countrv. might well emulate. The North Canterbury authorities ought to be among those local bodies which can show that because they have taken some worth-while action on their own account they should not have undesirable — and undesired — reforms thrust upon them by a central Government which has made much of its concern to ensure that “grass roots” opinion is considered in any local body reforms.