Professor warns counties of 'last word’ on issues

Press, 16 June 1982, Page 31

Professor warns counties of 'last word’ on issues

PA Dunedin Counties had no need to accept directives from centra] government as the last word on any issue. Otago University’s Professor R G. Lister has told the joint annual conference sessions of the Institute of County Clerks and Countv Engineers, in Dunedin. Professor Lister, from the university’s business development centre, said the Government had set up united councils to serve as channels of information between it and rural local authorities. He advised county clerks to share their common problems and to analyse them at the united council level, where the Government was prepared to listen. It was important to decide

where, strengths lie in the rural sector, he said, and then build on them and refuse to give way when strong points were threatened by centralism. Professor Lister said that counties should use the town and country’ planning division at united council level to make a strong case. “Government is bound to listen under the 1977 Town and Country Planning Act,” he said. Whereas the Government was prepared to talk with united councils, it could not' do so with every single county, he said. County clerks had to make the system work by fostering strong rural authorities and working with the Government to build them up.

They could do this best by keeping in touch with other counties, using town and country planning business development centres and information collected to pass on their concerns to the Government through united councils. As an example of this. Dr Ruth -Houghton, also of the university's business centre, reported on a survey of 3000 people carried out in eastern Southland. designed to identify rural issues of concern. and how people felt about them. "Counties are both responsive and responsible in terms of local populations.” she said. About 50 per cent of those surveyed were dissatisfied with local services, she said.

and about 80 per cent wanted changes.

Because of younger people having to go out of the district for job training.about 30 per cent of the households contained one person who wanted to leave. Dr Houghton undertook the survey for the Southland County Commission, and recommended to them that they assist local business and services, and make more information available to the people. She said that the survey was a case where specific information was gathered, and then acted upon.

A business seminar in Tokanui and an information day on local forestry have since been organised.