Please Vote – Please

 

If there was ever a reason to vote this would be it:

 

Rather than focus on The Unitary Plan which is complex and affects us all for life, Orsman in his typical fashion goes and focuses on something more trivial and only affects a select minority. But hey what ever sells, and the Herald often likes going for the lowest common denominator rather than the real stuff here… I also note the (unscientific) poll running and reflections over here at Whale Oil: “BUSHY BERMS NEED A MOW” in which he does say:

What sort of an idiot wants to leave berms unmown to try to prove a point. Mow your fricken lawns, it is only the old Auckland City Council areas affected, if you lived in Manukau you mowed your own berms…even in the deep South people have enough pride to mow their own berms.

A smart entrepreneur though will surely start a berm mowing business.

Read more: Bushy Berms need a mow « Whale Oil Beef Hooked | Cameron Slater Whale Oil Beef Hooked | Cameron Slater http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2013/10/bushy-berms-need-mow/#ixzz2gWR819zm
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I also see a parody account on the issue has sprung up on Facebook too: Busy Berms.

While it seems the Isthmus is becoming the laughing-stock of wider Auckland and now New Zealand (looking at comments through various media outlets) I am wondering if this trivialisation caused by two particular individuals is putting people off voting. I mean we have some very pressing and rather complex issues here that need good Councillors with good heads on their shoulders to wade their way through it all on our behalf – it is what we elect them for. But candidates or incumbents like Nigel Turnball and Cameron Brewer (followed by Bernard Orsman of the Herald) go turn the election into a trivial affair on a problem that can be very easily fixed.

The solution mooted by both sides (that are not trivialising this)?

Local Board gets properly funded and allowed to charge target rates on a select amount of things. The Local Board if it wishes then can either choose to allow their residents mow their berms (standard practice) or put out a tender for a contractor to mow the berms for them – but the Local Board pays for it.

Rather simple but these three individuals are not going around raising this issue, they rather go post Chicken Little stories and photos of reserves with one set actually belonging to Housing New Zealand (so not Council responsibility any how) that did need a mow.

That is how voters are put off – trivialisation

 

As much as this #bermfever might put you off Auckland please VOTE.

We have these more complex and longer term issues that will be going through the decision-making process at Council over the 2014-2016 term:

• Area Plans – localised urban development plans that spawn off the main Unitary Plan: These area plans dictate how things like Local, Town and Metropolitan Centres will be shaped specifically over the next 30 years
• Finances: our finances are a mess and we still have some huge items like the City Rail Link on the way. We need to get the finances back in order rather soon as a debt level of 275% is not amusing but rather crippling
• Transport: The Integrated Transport Program that sets out our transport building over the next 10 years was an utter lemon. We get to have another crack at the ITP next year then the 2015 version is drafted
• Local Services and our Town Centres: centres like Papakura Town Centre need an upgrade rather badly. Councillors and Local Boards will need to be thinking how we can put life back into our local places of business and community

Of course there are other things as well that Council is responsible for as well. All the more reason to ignore the trivia and vote – even if it is just for the mayor.

As the old saying goes: Don’t Vote – Don’t Complain

 

So get out and post those ballot forms back by next Wednesday!

 

Related articles

• Aucklanders told: Mow your own berm (nzherald.co.nz)
• Ask Phoebe: Owners now looking after berms (nzherald.co.nz)
• Peter Calder: Get on the grass – the berms battle (nzherald.co.nz)