Keep, politics out of local scene —Mayor

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 6

Keep, politics out of local scene —Mayor

The “intrusion” of the Labour Party into local government was criticised last evening by the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr Hamish Hay). Addressing the annual meeting of the Christchurch Citizens’ Association, Mr Hay said that local government should be administered by independent' people elected for their qualities of leadership and ability to make well reasoned decisions.

“It should not be a stepping stone for politically motivated people to secure publicity before standing for Parliament, as happens with a number of Labour councillors,” said Mr Hay. Mayoral candidates should be judged on their suitability for' the job, and voters should not be influenced by “political gimmickry” and showmanship, such as competing in a boxing ring or parading in Cathedral Square in longjohns, .as Cr Mollie Clark had done. “The next three years should be a time of consolidation to digest some of the major projects the city has recently undertaken, such as the new library, the civic office building, and the metropolitan refuse scheme,” Mr Hay said. Encouragement should be given to revitalising the centre of the city, and pre-

serving the central business district, he said.

! “Properly designed roads and expressways must be built to cater for heavy traffic, cyclists, and for people wanting to come into the city to shop or work, [otherwise we will see more [suburban shopping centres land office buildings such as are under construction in I Riccarton Borough,” he said. | Keeping the central area 'attractive to shoppers and i visitors was a high priority, [although the construction of the Cashel Street Mall might have to be deferred for a year or two because of existing loan commitments. During economic recession, a prime responsibility of local authorities was to ensure that basic services such as rubbish collection, an absence of potholes on footpaths and roads, tidy streets, and efficient, friendly service by all levels of council staff were top priorities.

“Some recent ventures into the social service field may have to be decreased or even cut out altogether, to effect economies,” said Mr Hay. Christchurch’s archaic local body boundaries and ad hoc functions were limiting progress in the city, and there was an urgent need for localgovernment reform. “Some people are paying far too much for facilities used by all citizens in the met-

ropolitan area, and the whole community is paying the ex, tra cost of unnecessary duplication of senior staff and extra administration caused by too many local bodies, instead of one strong unit of local government,” he said.

The divided administration of the city was also criticised by the preseident of the association (Mr M. O. Holdsworth). He said the city had been left with a “legacy of poor planning,” and questioned the ability of the United Council to check such “blunders.” The United Council was another layer of local government, with its unavoidable cost being carried by ratepayers who were almost powerless to influence its function, said Mr Holdsworth. Because the United Council contained appointees of the 25 per cent rural population who could out-vote those of the 75 per cent urban population the voter was pushed back one step from expressing his opinion through the ballot box, and the basis of “one man, one vote” was effectively lost, he said.

The Canterbury’ United Council was seen as something nobody really wanted, and something which would further confuse the localbody scene.