Warning by Mr Rich

Press, 21 October 1983, Page 5

Warning by Mr Rich

Mr D. B. Rich ended his 17 years as Waimairi’s chairman last evening with words of warning that the District Council could become a “political stamping ground.” He said the “non-politi-cal” council had worked in the interests of its ratepayers rather than party machines. If that independent and progressive stance was to continue, rifts would need to be healed.

In his final press conference, Mr Rich said that the “Coalition of Independents” which contested the recent local body elections in which he was defeated was an incursion of party politics.

“Once you get one side then you get the other, and once you get both you never get rid of them,” he said.

Mr Rich said the Labour Party had already announced that it would contest Waimairi seats in 1986 in opposition to the coalition.

A split council could be avoided if councillors buried their differences and got on with the job they were elected for.

Talk of amalgamation with adjoining local bodies should be forgotten, said Mr Richd.

Waimairi was already New Zealand’s eighth-big-gest council and any amalgamation with the secondbiggest, Christchurch City, would be folly. Amalgamation would take councillors further from the people, reduce efficiency, and increase costs. A respected figure in planning circles, Mr Rich

said he hoped his involvement in local body politics was not at an end. He might seek re-election in the future, and in the meantime he would keep a close watch on events at Waimairi. “I see one or two councillors exercising undue influence in the council,” he said. He regretted uncertainties in the publication of the District Scheme and said its review had been worked on for four years by the council.

The council had a stable and progressive reputation to maintain, with a highly competent staff to carry out policy. Mr Rich said that in spite of “ominous signs” he hoped logic would prevail and the high calibre of independent council representation be maintained.