Social Issues Facing Us

The Rotorua Social Services Council (ROSSCO) forum today was the first opportunity to meet some of the candidates standing for election to Council.  ROSSCO invited each candidate to list and speak about three major social issues facing Rotorua.   These are the issues that I spoke about:

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is a major issue throughout the country.  At a local level the use of  bylaws to effect change is a valuable tool.  Local  liquor bans like those applied at the Ragamuffin Concert and the recently held  Ireland vs NZ Maori rugby match have had huge community support.   By working proactively with the Police the success of the 24 hour liquor bans was clear and have been nationally and internationally recognised as best practice.

Many of our suburban shopping centres are now alcohol free with the recent introduction of permanent liquor bans.   We must begin to reduce the number of liquor outlets and place tighter controls on hours of operation.  These actions will go some way toward reducing alcohol related problems.  However the biggest changes must come from central government, they  have a huge role to play in setting the drinking age and acceptable drink/drive blood alcohol levels.  We as  a community must continue to make our voice heard about these issues.

Supporting Youth

I support programs designed specifically for youth and believe that it is a huge part of our social responsibility on Council. We must recognise that the changing family dynamics in our community are felt keenly by our youth.  Many community-based organisations and trusts are providing much needed guidance and life skills in this area and financial support from Council is vital for these initiatives to continue.  While it is easy to insist that the problem is one for central government to solve, the issue for me is that these young people are our future.  The more we can help to integrate them into our community the stronger our community will become.

Improving Street Lighting

Our older suburbs are suffering from poorly-lit areas that do nothing to enhance feelings of safety for residents. We must target spending to those areas most in need.  I believe the current Council policy on street lighting needs review and put simply, some areas are much more in need than others.  Street safety and beautification can go hand in hand and it’s time we stopped worrying about strict equity and simpy did what is right.

Many of the social issues facing our community are governed by  central government policy and it’s important to be clear about the responsibilities and areas of influence that is appropriate at a local government level.

I was pleased to take part in this first gathering of candidates and was impressed at everyone’s ability to keep to the three minute limit!

 

 

 

 

 

A Small Village With A Big Heart

This morning I was out in Ngongotaha to witness the blessing of a magnificent red beech log.  The log was gifted to the village by the Kaharoa Mangorewa Trust to commemorate the importance of forestry to this area.

The log has been placed on the paved area  adjacent to the car park at the entrance to the stream walk,  just off Taui Street.  It is well worth taking time to explore this area which also features a beautiful bridge across the stream linking to Stage One of the Ngongotaha to City Cycleway.

There is a great feeling of community partnerships in action,  with Progress Ngongotaha , the Ngongotaha Rail Trust and Te Whare Hauora o Ngongotaha and others working closely together for the benefit of the whole community.

I have enjoyed my close and ongoing association  with Ngongotaha and  love the growing collection of community art works that mirror the cultural richness of the community.

And They're Off!

Today is the first day that election hoardings and other campaign materials are allowed to be displayed in Rotorua.  You can expect all candidates to be putting their best foot forward in every way they can.  Hoardings (the big roadside displays) must be on private property and everyone looks for eye-catching designs and busy locations.

I think that social media will have an increasing role this process as years go by. Many people now use FaceBook and I certainly hope this Blog will help people get some idea of who I am and what I’ve been doing with my time on Council so far. I hope readers will check back here from time to time through the election period, feel free to make comments on individual posts and to ask questions.

Local Government NZ has also put together a website for the public, allowing all candidates to post a web page and receive questions from voters that can be addressed to all candidates simultaneously. This is the link to my page; you can look down the bottom to see which other candidates are registered.  

I'm just back from the first day of work on my hoardings with my support team of Rob, Kevin and Greg.  Thanks to those of you who have allowed us to place one of my signs on your property.

I look forward to any of your feedback about the elections and any of your questions.  
 

You’ll be seeing me around!

Signs Signs Everywhere...

The lists are out.   There are three candidates for Mayor of Rotorua, 28 people are running for council positions (remember no wards this time) and  four for the Rotorua Lakes  Community Board.   There are also good turnouts for Lakes DHB and BOP Regional Council.  Some of those standing are new, some have been elected before and others are standing for more than one position.

As you can imagine, people from all parts of the city are either intensely interested in the elections or hardly know they are happening, however after Saturday it will be very hard to miss the fact that it’s election time.  The city and countryside will be covered, or possibly smothered in hoardings, posters and billboards.  Some might call this visual pollution, however for others it can brighten up dull parts of town and for all residents it is a very clear reminder that if you want to have your say on who is chosen to guide the city, now is the time to make your vote count.

All of the current councillors are standing for re-election, however historically there is usually about 20% turnover. In the meantime, it’s business as usual on Council with meetings continuing almost right up to Election Day.

If you are interested in hearing from those standing for mayor then the Chamber of Commerce are hosting a breakfast for the mayoral candidates on Thursday 16^th September at the  Heritage Hotel.  Tickets are available from the Chamber.

The first public Meet The Candidates meeting announced so far is on Monday 20^th September at Lakes High School from 7-9 pm. More information is available from the Mokoia Community Association.  I hope to see you there.

Is your name on the list?

Election time again and the talk of the town is who else is standing for Mayor?  Rumour has it there are now three  candidates, all will be revealed on Monday the 23^rd when those nominated will be listed in the Daily Post.

 Billboards go up here in Rotorua from the 28^th August and must come down Friday 8^th October, before Election day on the 9^th.  Six weeks of campaigning if you were wondering and yes it is different for every region as signage is governed by  local bylaws.

Nominations close this Friday at 12 noon so it’s not too late to  put yours in.  Everyone is interested to see how the voting stacks up this time now we have abolished the wards and you can vote for up to 12 councillors.

I understand Lakes High  School are planning a public meeting dates TBC . If you are interested  look out for the listing of public meetings.

 

From The Mouths of Babes

This year’s topic for the annual Keep Rotorua Beautiful (KRB) intermediate speech awards was all about green waste. What it is, where it comes from, what we do with it now and where to from here.

There was not  a tree hugger in sight, yet the room was full of committed students speaking out about green waste.   Society’s changing attitudes to  a wide range of environmental issues means that we can no longer put down green issues as the wild ramblings  of a few hippies.  Green issues have matured and come of age.

This  is evident by the  growing number of our young people who know , care and speak out about the changes we must make, starting with  individuals, families and now especially communities.

The worm has indeed turned with the resurgence and popularity of composting and worm farming both domestically and commercially.   Recycling is now seen as a viable business opportunity as well as good for the planet. There is not only money in green waste but energy.  These initiatives are sustainable over the  long term and make good economic sense.

The intermediate students all spoke with passion, from personal experience in their own families and they had researched what others around the country and the world are doing.  It would appear it is the middle generation who have lost touch with doing what’s right, in favour of with doing what’s easy.  It is great to see a growing momentum building in our community, returning to a more sustainable way of dealing with organic waste than burying it in a landfill.

By the way the winner was Sophia Morrell from Kaitao Intermediate School in Rotorua.

Is Luxury Too Good For Our Troubled Youth?

On Thursday 29^th July, I was fortunate to be part a group invited to see the inner workings and meet the newly trained staff of the Youth Justice Residence, Te Maioha o Parekarangi, on SH30 east of Rotorua.  A number of criticisms have been leveled at this facility, ranging from “this place is like a motel” and “too good for the young offenders”, to the lament that more has not been done to prevent these young people from ending up here in the first place.

Now that I have seen the facility and heard about the philosophy guiding those charged with the care of our youth, I am fully in support of the aims and aspirations of all involved.

Te Maioha O Parekarangi is a place of last resort.  The youth that end up here are in real need of focused  care, a structured environment and learning opportunities that can prepare them for a different path than the one that took them there in the first place.  For many this will be a life-changing experience, some will leave with skills that prepare them for the workforce,  while  others will learn much needed basic life skills that most of us take for granted.

All will gain from daily mentoring by the staff  who have chosen to work with youth because they believe they can make a difference and that our youth are worth the investment.  The life skills the staff bring from all walks of life will add to the huge diversity of experiences that will help shape and guide these young people back to productive lives.

Providing a purpose-built, attractively decorated  and maintained facility with state of the art equipment is I believe the right way to assist our youth to see another side of life.

The focus here is truly on the huge potential that these young people have and the refusal of our community to give up on them even if they have given up on themselves.  My congratulations go to all who have been involved in this very valuable project.