United Council rejects move to replace itself

Press, 25 November 1982, Page 1

United Council rejects move to replace itself

A move to replace itself with a directly elected regional council was firmly rejected by the Canterbury United Council yesterday. '"Even a proposal to have the idea studied further was defeated.

On an 18-4 vote, the 26member body defeated a move by Sir Hamish Hay, a Christchurch member to have immediate steps taken to start legal moves for conversion to a regional council. - ■ ■■■ United Council members f are appointed by Canterbury local bodies. ■.-j ■■■<

Supporters of, the move towards a directly; elected council argued thaf it would be more effective as a lobbying force with -the Government.

Opponents of the idea feared that a directly'elected council, with its own adminsitrative support, would cost more money without being more effective. Under the Local Government Act, the United Council is administered by one of its member local bodies. In Canterbury’s case,/ administration is handled by the Christchurch City Council.", United , Council members yesterday also defeated a suggestion that the regional body should seek greater administrative autonomy. Sir Hamish said that conversion to a regional council would lead to “a full sense of accountability and responsibility.” ■ Although United Council members .were pledged to represent the region. instead of their local bodies, it was “practically impossible” to ignore loyalty to the local ' bodies that appointed them,,

he said.. Regional councillors would learn to think regionally and not be parochial in their outlook, said Sir Hamish. A regional council might involve the problem of finding extra administrative money, he said, but such a body would be more likely to have the'chance to raise money through direct taxation. ■ -

Cr Dorothy: Harris said that councillors should have reports on the financial implications of a regional council, and what sort of representation siich a council would have/Under the compromise that set up the present council, each territorial local authority had at least one representative. Cr Harris said the conversion question should be referred to the United Council’s policy and finance committee.

Cr Rex Lester said the council should have the courage and conviction to make an immediate decision. The council was making too many recommendations that delayed decisions. “We have all made up our minds. Membership on a United Council in its present form is a second prize,” he said.

Cr E. C. Britnell said that directly elected councillors could ‘be even more parochial in representing the interests of the areas that elected them. That was apparent in the Auckland Regional Authority 20 years after its formation.•/ / . “I think the basic question is our attitude, towards regionalism,” he said. . Cr I. G. Clark said he was / worried that party politics

could tend to dominate regional council elections, and such politics should be avoided in local government.

“My greatest fear is that the regional council could become a political machine,” said Cr R. W. J. Harrington. “Whether you belong to this party or that party could determine whether you ' become a member.” Cr Lester said it was for the people to decide if politics should be part.of a regional council;. “It is the. people’s right, and we shoiild not be afraid of that,” he said. Sir Hamish said the questions raised on party politics were “a bit of a red herring.” The sense of urgency in seeking a regional council -had lessened with advice that one could not be achieved in time for next year’s local body elections. The United Council’s principal officer, Mr J. H. Gray, said' that a regional-council could not be elected before early 1985 if there were any opposition to it. Legal proceedings would. take that period to complete.. A legal opinion from the United Council’s solicitor had also made it clear that ho administirative autonomy of substance, could be obtained under existing legislation. Any. action taken without legislative changes could be “no more than cosmetic,” he said.

From his discussions with the Local Government Commission and the Internal Affairs Department, it seemed unlikely that the Government would be receptive to a special case being made for Canterbury.;