Local body study for O.E.C.D.

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 8

Local body study for O.E.C.D.

The effectiveness of local body and Government programmes in the Canterbury region will be examined in an O.E.C.D. project on urban economic development Canterbury was selected by the Ministry of Works and Development as one of two case studies to be included in a national survey for the Organisation for Economic and Cultural Development It will be carried out by the United Council’s regional planner, Mr M. G. Barber. Its main object is to outline regional and local authority responses to economic and employment problems, and assess their effectiveness. Much of the information needed for the project already exists and Mr Barber plans to do most of it in his own time, finishing in June. Some members of the United Council’s regional planning committee were concerned yesterday that this was just another report on a report, and planning for planning’s sake.

Because council staff already had a heavy workload, Cr R. H. Sloss suggested that this study should not be completed. Cr V. S. Buck agreed that there should always be some result from planning, but believed it would be a shame if the effectiveness of some of the Government’s schemes was not examined. She said many were based on wrong assumptions, and new ways of using the money available for solving economic and employment problems should be looked at. Mr Barber confirmed that this would be the sort of analysis he would make. Cr Sir Hamish Hay said if the study did highlight imperfections in Government policies and Labour Department schemes, it would be worthwhile. Cr W. J. Thompson thought it was strange that such investigations were initiated by the Ministry of Works and Development, believing that the Labour Department should be the body to determine if its policies were effective.