Pace of change too fast for many—candidate

Press, 31 August 1989, Page 7

Pace of change too fast for many—candidate

By

KAY FORRESTER

People are being asked to absorb too many changes in local government for them to understand what is happening, says a Canterbury Regional Council candidate. Mr Clyde Sugden, a United Citizens candidate in the Fitzgerald constituency, said people seemed unaware of the new functions of various levels of local government. That was because the pace of change was too fast, he said.

“Regional government is probably the area of least awareness. Many city people see it as a

rural area and people generally have difficulty. with a body that stretches

beyond their local area,” he said. With some regional government functions still to be determined under resource management law reform, people did not have a full concept of what was involved in the new councils. Mr Sugden suggested some candidates also did not fully understand what the new council would do or how much time it would demand of them. He recommended candidates and interested members of the public should need a booklet on the regional council put out by that council’s transitional committee.