Participation in local government, particularly in elections should be looked upon as one of our great shames. With only 42% of eligible New Zealand voters bothering to cast a ballot in Council elections, we only have ourselves to blame when decisions are made that we may not approve of or support. Just why we are so apathetic when it comes to voting for the people who raise our rates, dog registrations and pool fees is as mysterious as the Bermuda…
In early May all Community Board Chairs were asked by The Star, “If you could have just one thing from your board area included in the 2020-21 Annual Plan, what would it be, and why?” In the Board’s submission to the Dunedin City Council’s 2020 Annual Plan it was clear that we needed to adjust in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and level 3&4 lock-down. Job and business losses meant that there was likely to be hardship in the community…
When you live on the Otago Peninsula you are living in a rich cultural and historical landscape that extends over the many generations whose descendants are part of our community today. The Peninsula sits on a crossroads of historical people and events that defines not only our community but gives its name Otakou to the very region we live in. I’m always reminded of this at the Waitangi Day celebrations held recently at Otakou Marae. The celebrations held every three…
The New Zealand Electoral Commission has announced that the Dunedin South and North electorate boundaries are to be changed. Big deal you might say, how will this affect the Otago Peninsula? The proposal is to remove all of the Otago Peninsula from Ocean Grove to Taiaroa Head from Dunedin South electorate and add it to Dunedin North. The NZ Electoral commission are required under the Electoral Act (1993) to use a complex population formula based on our previous flawed census…
With the Christmas holiday period fast approaching, we tend to get drawn into the whirlpool of planning family gatherings, school break ups, shopping and overloading our fridges beyond their intended capacity. Worrying whether we should have ham or chicken and will grandma be all right sleeping on a camp stretcher in the spare room removes us from some of the real issues around this period. The holiday season can be a difficult time for some families and individuals. Financial, familial…
The debate between the Otago Peninsula community and the Otago Regional Council over the provision of bus services for school commuters has been a long and arduous one. Recently, local parent Jason Graham and I presented a petition of nearly 1000 signatures seeking three very simple things; A timetable change An additional bus to create a half hourly service like the rest of the city A minor route change that caters for all users. Over the course of the bus…
The announcement of the review of the Dunedin City Council Book Bus service is a pertinent reminder to all Otago Peninsula residents of the importance of local services. The review should be treated as an opportunity by the community to consider modernising the services that the Book Bus can supply. These should include WiFi, online services and wider Council customer services. Submissions close on the 27th May 2017 and can be done online or on hard-copy from clicking the link here….
One of the main themes of the Dunedin City Council Economic Development Strategy has been the notion that Dunedin is an affordable city. That’s an admirable idea and one that every person would naturally support. However, when looking at the annual fees and charges that the City Council ask citizens pay for services it becomes clear that our affordability is rapidly being eroded away. These types of costs hurt our community and our economy. What’s new you might ask? Well…
I was a little whakama (shy, nervous) about putting out an election sign in Te Reo Maori. However, living on the Peninsula and working in Dunedin has taught me to look deeply at the nature of our community and how we can support one another.Language is one of those ways, and through it we can learn a deeper understanding of the world and place we live in. I’ve been very fortunate to receive much support and guidance from many Maori…
In the last few months we’ve seen the knotty problem of freedom camping in areas like Warrington raised by the community. Having spent the last three years on the Otago Peninsula Community Board dealing with this issue its become clear that we must act far more decisively than we have done to date. That means investment, dialogue and looking at innovative ways to control the effects of the activity on local people and local areas. In the Peninsula example the Dunedin…