Priorities

One of the common themes I have talked about while campaigning is that the Council needs to prioritise better and that if elected, I'll work with the Councillors to go over their priorities and have a rethink about what we need ...to focus on to move the district forward. One of my priorities is to push the Alps2Ocean cycle trail to get it completed. This is a big task but one which many of our communities will benefit from.

For this reason, I spoke at the public forum at Tuesday's council meeting. On the agenda was an item to spend $60,000 on a new neighbourhood playground at the Bluestone Heights subdivision. While wanting to support the concept of neighbourhood playgrounds, I questioned the need to spend this money now when the council could be using it for higher priorities, such as the cycle trail. It could still benefit that neighbourhood if it was used to continue the cycleway from the rail corridor on Saleyards Rd where it currently finishes, past the subdivision and down to the Oamaru Public Gardens where there is already a "destination playground".

To me, that would be a far better use of the money and also provide the safe walking/cycling access that the locals want to allow them to get from their subdivision into town.

I also took the opportunity to compare the approach of council who had been prepared to sign this off, when other communities had been required to fundraise for similar projects. Palmerston, for example, had to fundraise for 2-3 years to put in their playground and skate park facility! This smacks of inequity and all I asked for was that Councillors took note of the different expectations. These are some of the things I hope to address if elected, to ensure we have a district which is treated evenly and people feel they are given a fair go by their council. ( Following my submission, the Council decided to let this agenda item lie on the table to allow them time to get further information. The incoming council will now make the final decision.)