My Account
After a day of debate at Auckland Council, two councillors went round in circles about including the word ‘technology’ in a bit of policy.
At the Planning, Environment and Parks committee on March 30, members endorsed the significant infrastructure issues to inform the 2024 infrastructure, strategy.
There were seven issues identified: greenhouse gas emissions, resilience, growth, inequity, funding gaps, te ao Māori infrastructure and environmental degradation.
Cr Wayne Walker said one issue was missing from the list – technology.
“There’s a revolution that’s happening right now … it is the phenomenal development that’s occurring across electric battery development, associated buffering, full self-drive which is imminent within a number of years if not on the near horizon,” Walker said.
“It is going to be akin to the shift from the horse to the motor vehicle.
“I would just make a plea that technology needs to be up there. If it is not, we are discounting the most significant thing that influences all the others.”
Walker wanted to include technology because it was overarching and would impact everything. Chair
Richard Hills did not want to include it for exactly the same reason.
“Technology has been across everything since the wheel,” Hill said.
“I mean technology generally is just the use of our knowledge and skills and science for the ability to do everything council does including all the issues above.
“What you just said is happening has always happened since the dawn of time, as technology has led those issues.”
Chair Hills and Cr Walker volleyed back and forth, both arguing that technology was relevant to all council’s infrastructure issues.
Cr Shane Henderson told Hills and Walker that they were “vociferously” agreeing with each other and that the recommendation should be passed as is.
Cr Mike Lee wanted to see the item wrap up and suggested the chair placate Walker’s request.
“Would it hurt just to slip in the word technology amongst those commas and we all move on happily?” Lee said.
Cr Julie Fairey proposed a middle ground by changing the title of the item.
“Why don’t we make it ‘endorse the significant infrastructure and technology issues to inform the 2024 infrastructure strategy’. That actually elevates it and then we don’t have an eighth issue,” Fairey said.
The title was changed to match Fairey’s suggestion.
Cr Alf Filipaina called the debate a farce.
“We might also go through all our agendas, through all our committees and put in technology. This just seems silly,” Filipaina said.
