Waitaki: The council that is confronting debt, staffing and community trust
Share
All over the country ratepayers are staring at astronomical rate increases and at the same time losing patience with their local councils.
Prime minister Christopher Luxon spoke for many people this week when he told local councils to "rein in the fantasies" and "do the basics and do the basics brilliantly".
As council debt has risen, trust in our local councils has dropped in almost direct proportion. In the case of the Queenstown Lakes District Council, to the lowest trust and satisfaction level in New Zealand - 15 percent.
But down the road in Oamaru the Waitaki District Council (WDC) has already decided to take action. And not just action, but a complete and massive transformation.
The WDC was concerned when their own community satisfaction level dropped from 45 percent to 35 percent. They hired a new chief executive specifically to engineer radical change.
The change, agreed just a couple of weeks ago, will involve up to 10 percent of council staff losing their jobs.
Separation between council departments will be removed and there will be a wholesale move towards more efficient, digital systems to supply up to 40 different community services that the WDC is responsible for.
Ultimately the WDC wants a council that the staff, elected members and community can all be proud of.
Crux spent time this week with WDC mayor Gary Kircher and one of the most experienced councillors, former broadcaster Jim Hopkins.
Waitaki District mayor Gary Kircher (left) and WDC councillor Jim Hopkins (right)
Mayor Kircher explains how the plan emerged and how other councils around the country may be well advised to watch and learn, while Councillor Hopkins argues that the pain of cutting council staff will deliver the greatest benefit to the largest group of people - the community. He also argues that unless the current council rating system is changed local government in this country will eventually become totally unsustainable.
Also in this week's top stories Kim Bowden and Peter Newport discuss the ongoing $300 million tug of assets between Cromwell and Alexandra and an alarming increase in the issue of QLDC parking tickets, especially in just one or two local suburbs. Plus, is the CODC mayor losing his battle to convince Cromwellians to share their local community board's $300 million land wealth with their neighbours in Alexandra?
Listen to the full version of our interview with mayor Gary Kircher
Listen to the full version of our interview with councillor Jim Hopkins
TOP STORIES
