There was a recent verbal battle on the Bay Buzz blogsite & this is part of my response to some of the questions that were pointed at me: "Re: Westshore Beach erosion: I’ve always said that HBRC & Port of Napier should be investigating & paying for sustainable hard engineering options (in the water) in order to stem the rate of erosion & that NCC’s responsibility is for the land, ie, not the sea. Both HBRC and NCC have had the funding benefit of it’s leasehold land portfolios (only Napier money, from Napier people, for the benefit of Napier city only originally, in law) since the last local govt reforms when the HBRC was created. As 100% shareholder of the Port of Napier Ltd the HBRC is doubly-obliged – and yet the ratepayers of all of HB, being the ultimate shareholders of PONL, aren’t making it a ‘business issue’ (ie, applying vocal pressure) to either organisation. Perhaps also, JJH (former Councillor John Harrison) explain how might I, as one new councillor in 2010, somehow magically change the current situation?; In summary to the other comments that’ve been made; media presence alone is no gauge of community benefit or leadership. Walking away from my contract (and income) was due to the nature of the work it entailed – human services, sometimes with multiple issues, and as it was a responsive service it was difficult to balance those commitments with my council and community commitments. Consequently I don’t spend a lot of time online, I’m far too busy in the real world, listening to all kinds of people and working at strengthening community resilience as well as trying to help resolve Council-specific issues." - See more at: baybuzz.co.nz/archives/6757/#sthash.sL0b1RFM.dpuf
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 02:18:08 +0000