Labour proposal for one Chch council

Press, 25 February 1981, Page 12

Labour proposal for one Chch council

A proposal that a single Christchurch metropolitan council be formed, to replace all present councils in the city, will be put to the Labour Party for its approval at the week-end. The proposal is included in a package of local Government remits to be discussed at the party’s northern South Island regional conference, to be held in Blenheim at the week-end. The particular remit pro-! ! poses that Labour recognises I that Christchurch is one city !and sets aside the- “multi- . plicity of administrations i along with the jealousies jand frustrations that accompany them.” It then recommends that! neighbourhood or community councils also be set up under the Christchurch metropolitan council, with the power to determine their own priorities. Another remit in the package recommends that an elected regional council be set up in North Canterbury to co-ordinate planning in the region and to initiate a programme of development. A third remit asks that North Canterbury rural areas also have strong and independent county councils with “sensible boundaries.” The whole package is preceded by a preamble which

says the “Democratic Socialism demands the right of all people to control their own destinies and to this end the Labour Party will delegate decision-making to the smallest units of' society that have the power to make those decisions efficiently and practically.” Regional development proposals figure prominently inthe conference agenda. They, include additions to be in-. !eluded in the party’s work: challenge scheme to| help youth employment; provision for rubbish recycling programmes; assistance for the elderly; and the promotion of horticultural in- j dustries. A regional development commissioner for. each region is proposed to co-ordin-ate the activities of local and central government. Remits in health topics include proposals that sixmonthly medical checks of schoolchildren be reinstated; and that a Labour government discourage the growth of private health insurance, reduce financial support to private hospitals, and review the right of medical staff to work in public and private sectors. Delegates will be asked to reject the Working .Women’s Charter in its present form, but the particular remit does!

not give reasonsfor this suggested action. One remit on defence is included in the conference agenda: it asks that the party support an evaluation of the use of remotely con-, trolled aircraft to patrol New Zealand’s economic zone. The conference will be iasked to support a remit! ''calling for the reinstatement! iof the National Airways! !Corporation as a separate; entity independent of Air) New’ Zealand. Other indus-i trial remits call for all pub-i licly owned corporations tobe ' accountable to Parlia-j Iment, and for-opposition to! ! major projects which are not based on indigenous raw materials, for example, aluminium smelters. . Opposition to the reintroduction of birching as a punishment for violent offending is contained in justice remits, which ask that Labour attack the “real causes” of violence, especially unemployment and the breakdown of community life. A Labour government is asked/to. endorse, .an investigation of >. thfe development of a deep-water port or' jetty on the West. Coast to allow better use of existing railway facilities.