Let's talk about the big issues in Hamilton

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?It has been a challenging year for everyone due to the uncertainties and disruptions of Covid-19. I hope you are doing well.

?It’s been two years since I became Mayor and the last year in particular has been exceptionally busy. I’d like to highlight some of the issues we are currently working on so you are aware of the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing our city.

?Covid-19 has turned the way we live and work upside-down.?And in many ways, it has been a huge year of change, driven by central Government.?I’m proud that, despite Covid-19, Council has continued to make important and tangible progress on key issues.

?In addition to managing Covid-19 and ‘business-as-usual’, our Council has been in the thick of discussions with other councils, Local Government, Central Government and other partners about a raft of reform proposals and far-reaching legislation.

?These changes have the potential to make huge changes to our communities and the way we as a Council work.

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Water Reform

The most divisive of the reforms has been the 3 Waters Reform which looks at a new way of managing water, wastewater and storm water. Council’s recent decision, detailed in this link, clearly confirms our opposition to the reforms as currently proposed.

?To be clear, no Councillor supports privatisation, or the current asset transfer model proposed by the government.?And we are extremely unhappy that there has simply not been enough time to allow comprehensive consultation with our community. That is something we have asked Government to address.

?Personally, I have discussed the 3 Waters Reforms in significant detail on my website and on my Facebook page. I’ve been concerned about the huge amount of misinformation being shared on a complex issue with far-reaching impacts. Facts matter, and I will continue to do my best to keep people informed.

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I know, Tiffany, from many years of experience, that walking away from the reform process will do nothing except ensure Hamilton has NO voice in any future decision-making, and NO influence to get the best outcome for our city.?That is not an option if we are to try and positively influence our future and get the best deal for Hamiltonians.

?Housing

Our Council has also been concerned with a bi-partisan announcement about housing.?It’s Council’s view that proposed law changes, which will allow three-storey homes to be built in most parts of the city without a resource consent, are fundamentally flawed.?

We’ve sent a hard-hitting submission on this issue which is supported by neighbouring councils as well as Waikato-Tainui.?? ?

Personally, I support efforts to build up and not out – but ONLY when it is done well and not when it will cause great distress to others.?Hamilton has a housing crisis; we need more homes.?It is as simple as that.?However, trying to impose a blanket solution, without taking note of the planning work we already have done to enable more housing, is not the answer.

?A further concern I have, related to this issue, is that of infrastructure.?In Hamilton alone, we have $1.07 billion worth of ‘unfunded’ infrastructure included within our 10-Year Plan….a mammoth amount our city cannot hope to fund alone.?In October, I wrote an opinion piece for Local Government magazine about this issue. I would welcome your views as I believe this is something we should all be concerned about. And I have seen very little public debate about it.

?Local Government

There are two pieces of other reform on the table from central Government, including reform of Local Government itself. The Local Government review commission is currently travelling the country to hear from councils. I’m not yet convinced on what the answer is and I’m not averse to change.?‘Doing what we have always done’ is no reason to keep structures in place when improvements are possible.

?Resource Management Act

Finally, the other piece of work ongoing is reform of the Resource Management Act.?I support this reform.?We will always need environmental protections, but the Act is now an outdated piece of legislation which is hindering, not helping our efforts to build better communities. It is certainly doing nothing to help us address the country’s housing crisis.

?While central Government initiatives have been taking a lot of time and energy, there remain issues closer to home for Council to focus on.?Over the next few months, we will be working on the coming 2022-23 Annual Plan which will see us tweak budgets to make sure the work we have programmed delivers on what’s needed most for our city. As always, I will be strongly encouraging people be heard before Annual Plan decisions are made.

?If you have any questions, concerns or thoughts please do not hesitate to contact me personally. There will always be a range of views in the community and I always welcome conversations about the issues that really matter in our city.

?Warm regards, Paula

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