Ombudsman warns of ecology erosion

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34138, 27 April 1976, Page 22

Ombudsman warns of ecology erosion

(N.Z. Press Association) BLENHEIM, April 26. Without proper ; management of New] Zealand's environment land resources, the coun-] (try would very slowly! (sink into a backwater (desert, said the Chief! Ombudsman (Sir Guy; (Powles) in Blenheim to-; day. Opening the annual conference of the Catchment Authorities Association, Sir Guy said the country’s ecological heritage must be preserved against “the inroads of our own acquisitiveness. “We have to subdue our productivity drives, other-: wise we might lay waste to the country.” I Sir Guy said catchment.

jauthorities were “in the fore-: j front of our environmental struggles.” The work catchment : authorities was doing was I of the highest national im(portance and the most imi portant of any group of local bodies. j Referring to the extension •lof the Ombudsman’s Departement into local government (affairs, Sir Guy said local ' 1 bodies need not be worried ■by this. “We talk, smooth over, [iron out things, and help you .■to achieve good standards of 3 administration.” '! The Ombudsman acted as -‘communication between - people and local bodies. ; ’( Sir Guy said one of the: ; blocks to good government (was a failure to consult' , affected parties. So far there j [was no reason why appropriate consultation with the!

[public could not be established and followed. I Failure to determine the problems under discussion — failure to inform affected parties of decisions or inform them soon enough. : failure to act in time, and failure to be prepared to re- ! serve decisions if found to be . wrong — were also barriers to good government. The conduct of individual I local body servants towards the people they served was of supreme importance. ' “Every organisation gets Hits image from the normal decency of its staff when dealing with the public.” ■ Sir Guy said the expeni ence his department had [gained was at the service of i[local bodies and might help them to give more effective • government. “Some local bodies and ; ; central government may be able to learn from the lessons ■ jwe have learned,” he said.