Local government should focus on the basics

Stuff reports:

Palmerston North is being challenged to be the first city in New Zealand to licence tobacco retailers, and ban sales at dairies, supermarkets and liquor stores within 1 kilometre of schools.

Heart Foundation Manawatu heart health advocate Sally Darragh told a city council submissions hearing on Tuesday it could introduce a bylaw.

She believed it was empowered to do so under the Local Government Act in the interests of protecting public health.

It is not the job of local government to decide that tobacco retailers need licencing. That’s a decision for central Government. Local government would do a lot better if they focused on their core responsibilities of water, roads, libraries, parks, sewers etc.