Staff support helped plan
When we put together our 10-year plan for Christchurch the whole process was greatly helped along by the high-quality data we got from staff.
It was great; the briefings were informative, precise and open. Each snapshot of where we are, where we can go, and how much the trip will cost was good. It was a great help in keeping what is always going to be a huge job broken down into useful shapes and sizes.
Most of the Council returned the compliment by voting cleanly on the issues. There was no particular bloc voting to force along conclusions that led anywhere except in a logical line. It was a show of political maturity that was greatly helped along by having access to high-quality information each step of the way.
This is an achievement that deserves public thanks and recognition. When you think of what a bureaucrat's dream the alphabet soup that makes up the 10-year plan is in its full splendour, as the LTCCP, it is even more remarkable .
After all, the LTCCP sounds like something dreamed up for an episode of the old TV show Yes Minister that starred the wily Sir Humphrey as the ultimate bureaucrat. Happily in reality, it works far, far better.
This time the challenge of the Long Term Council Community Plan has been met well by both sides.
There always is, always will be, an inherent tension between politicians and bureaucrats. Generally this is healthy, and sometimes with events like the 10-year plan, both sides can surprise themselves and each other with how well they can work together. Which is just as well.
The new Local Government Act is a hugely important piece of legislation that has made us all have to change how we work. It is a very tight slice of law that sets some very firm ground rules for forward planning.
For politicians, it spells the end to being able to promise things that the plan already says they can't deliver. It brings certainty to planning ahead to areas where, historically, change was often the only certainty.
As I have said elsewhere with this process, the politician who has promised rate cuts then has to convince the rest of their colleagues that what they have promoted makes sense. If a Councillor wants more spending then they too have to convince their colleagues their plan deserves support.
In recent months, as we have grappled with balancing costs and services for our growing city, it has been within this democratic framework. Nobody has dominated things and the majority of Councillors have worked hard together to try to balance the expectations against the price tags that go with them.
Keeping rates down as far as possible has been on all our agendas. Against this we have had to balance the needs of our present and future city.
Unseen, but not unheard, have been the needs of the next generation. Think about them. How will they view us as a city when they have their families? What will make this city continue to be well laid out and safe? What will make it easy to travel in; on foot, by bicycle, or by vehicle? Where will the kids swim and where will we all use a local library? How can we sustain our waterways and our beautiful water? How do we build our stock of parks, local and regional? How do we stay a thriving economy without increasing the amount of waste we send to the Kate Valley landfill? How best do we support our community groups alongside other funders to get the best results?
These and many other huge issues were considered within the LTCCP, and I am confident we got most of it right. Have a look and tell us what you think.
Mayor of Christchurch
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/mayor/
|
