Lord Mayor will sink it

October 30th, 2012

A pity that all the energy going into looking for symbols and unity does not go into finding ways to get the existing Councils out of the way of people who want to build, replace, create, experiment and develop.

It could have filled gaps left in the government's timid attack on the RMA tyranny. For example more would be acheived by making unsuccesful objectors (and Councils that block projects) liable for the losses they cause, and all costs of proceedings, than all the handwringing and tinkering with Council authority.

Still, Sir Geoffrey was asked to think about structural issues. He has. The token community councils and figurehead mayors without rating authority will not be able to protect their people from funding transfers to pet constituencies and causes. So we get a Super City in effect, though with a smaller Council.

I look forward to reading the detail, though it could be wasted time..

Unless I completely misjudge the republican temper of political Wellington, and the feelings of the rest of the country toward us, a push for our own Lord Mayor will sink the whole project in scorn.

Filed under Constitutional, Wellington Central

Comments

Wellington, pompous as ever. Bring back Sir Keith. 😆

We know how to organise cities – we've organised cities in common law for a thousand year at least. What we need is a city corporation comprising the major landholders in the city, choosing a chair from one of their number – that chair is the mayor. Roading, parks etc are vested in that corporation just like any other company, based on property rights. The city corporation decides planning and any other issues regarding the city's property.
And… that's it! Far cheaper and far more efficient than any of these non-solutions, super or not super!

In a generous mood maybe, Stephen says,… "Still, Sir Geoffrey was asked to think about structural issues. He has. The token community councils and figurehead mayors without rating authority will not be able to protect their people from funding transfers to pet constituencies and causes. So we get a Super City in effect, though with a smaller Council….. I look forward to reading the detail, though it could be wasted time."
Wasted time. Of course he is a waste of time to read anything old yellow tooth writes or to hear what he says Simon Upton and hundreds of judges tried and failed. The only person who understood his RMA was Christchurch City Councillor Sue Wells, and that’s because she read it backwards, and the bible in between. I thought that we had sent Geoffrey Palmer to Greenlandyears ago. ..Cut off from the world, his own pompous wring and words to the wind….. He is the only New Zealander ever to have achieved the Quixote clay medallion of disgrace and bar. I think he was PM of NZ for about three days once.

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