Apperly slams WCC
Ian Apperly writes:
This is laughable. In three years they’ve put in (another) tech hub (they are starting to fall from fashion due to their dubious effectiveness), screwed up Victoria Street while holding hands with the NZTA, and bought an air connection to Canberra of all places!
This Council promised over twenty projects at the start of the triennium. Exactly zero have been completed.
And he looks at the lack of consultation:
I want to remind people of Island Bay’s controversial cycleway and butchered consultation. Owhiro Bay, where residents were ignored over concerns about a camp site. The shambles around density housing, and again, the lack of consultation. Support for an airport extension that makes no sense, spending ratepayer cash in a clear case of corporate welfare. A total lack of support for local High Tech companies, preferring to buy international products over local (better) products.
A botched consultation over the Hutt cycleway. Bad consultation in the Eastern Suburbs over cycle options. No overall progress on public transport. No progress in transport at all. Poor key performance indicators across a number of council services. Doctoring business cases prior to public release. Multiple complaints to the Ombudsman that have been upheld. Not being able to tell what the actual rate rise is each year.
A high degree of absenteeism from certain councillors. A poor relationship with central government, across many agencies and at cabinet level. Twenty communications staff with far less consultation staff. In-fighting.
They have managed to do some things. They painted polka-dots in Bond Street.
They are cool polka-dots!
Don’t forget that when you start voting. And watch for more rewriting of history in the next few weeks. Ask yourself when you read the rhetoric and promises: “How?” How is it that they are going to change the mess that they have got themselves into, and if they don’t recognise the appalling state of the current situation, then should you be voting for them at all?
As usual I’ll publish my thoughts on the mayoral and council candidates after nominations close.