Viewpoint – Balancing act

Local board decision-making can be a tricky balancing of varied views and needs. It is impossible for our decisions to be fully supported by all in our communities. As ratepayers, it’s tempting to only think about our own needs, and to criticise spending which we feel does not meet those. However, we need to remember there are others in our community who have different needs to our own, who through renting or home ownership also pay rates.

As an example, we recently celebrated the opening of the 999 Warkworth Loop Bus. A good thing, right? Some say yes, but some no. While there may not be huge numbers using this service yet, some are already incredibly grateful for this service and the positive change it has made in their lives.

Unfortunately, we often only hear those who think this is money wasted. We know this service will help people get around town whether they are unable to drive, not eligible for the school bus, have limited mobility, don’t want the hassle of parking, or are connecting to another bus service.

This two-year trial is funded through the Warkworth portion of the Rodney Local Board Transport Targeted Rate. The cost is about one-third of reallocated funds from a previously budgeted on-demand bus trial. The savings made meant we could also deliver improvements to some of Warkworth unsealed roads, which gained matching NZTA funding for the sealing component. We viewed this balanced approached as providing something for the wider needs in our community whether you rely on vehicle, public transport, or both.

Consultation is one way we gather views. However, proportionately not many in our communities take part. Understandably, we usually only hear from those who have the time or want to provide feedback.

This usually represents a small portion of community, either in numbers, gender, ethnicity, age, community interests and, therefore, views. For us to hear from more of our community I think consultation needs to be easier and less time consuming. A simple targeted text to registered residents is just one example. Consultation also needs to be impartial and not influenced by those of us in governance who should instead be listening, otherwise we risk just hearing our own voice. So, while consultation helps inform our decisions, we cannot rely on it being a complete or often fair representation of the diverse views and needs of our communities.

Balancing acts and views aside, recently I was able to gain support with the board to trial recording our business meetings for six months. I believe this is another positive step towards better transparency and accountability, building on the change also made to open our workshops to the public. So, no matter what view you have, you do have the opportunity to review our decisions and see some of the things we consider.

Here are some links that may be useful:

• 999 Warkworth Bus Loop timetable: https://rb.gy/fygaor
• Rodney Local Board recorded meetings: https://rb.gy/vszbiu
• Information on attending or viewing Rodney Local Board meetings and workshops:
  https://rb.gy/1bu7fw