Today is a year to the day that we were all elected to The Wellington City Council. People have asked me in the last few week especially, what is the best and the worst of being on Council. Well the best is a stand out, and that is the constituency involvement. Meeting people from all walks of life, and across Wellington. Problem solving, and helping people do better in their day to day lives is a huge driver for me. Being an Onslow Western Councillor has meant time in the ward is important, however we represent the whole of Wellington, and that should not be forgotten. Yesterday epitomised what is so great about our city. Councillors were invited to The Evans Bay Yacht and Marine Clubs season opening event. It really represented all that is good about our community. It was grass roots, voluntary, and a totally wide ranging group of Wellingtonians were represented, and from all ages. There was history, (the names on the honours board, and the club traditions emphasised that!) The canon blast ( ( we all jumped, even though we knew it was going to happen!) the blessing of the boats, and the raising of the pennants and flags, make the occasion unique and so special. The event , like many others I have attended over the last year had a tremendous atmosphere, and was welcoming and engaging. The people were friendly, enthusiastic and encouraging of each other, and all who attended. They came from all over the region too. I was very grateful at having been invited. The worst aspect of council is a stand out too. It is poor engagement. It mostly happens within Council. The reports that are poorly written, often unnecessarily long winded, and self centred. The workshops and briefings, which really are often a fait accompli, and are telling you whats going to happen ( often without good options) rather than looking for input or feedback, are areas which have the ability to do ones head in! Some of the cities engagement with its stakeholders has not been the best either, however the Wellington City Council is far from the worst at engaging properly. The Greater Wellington Regional Council and The NZ Transport Authority have a way to go with both consultation and engagement . Some areas of their engagement is pretty arrogant at times. The Wellington City Council will improve on this area in the near future, and hopefully we can act as a great example for others in doing so. My council colleagues are a diverse, and interesting group. Politically we come from varying persuasions, and political viewpoints. I was told that we would have our moments! Most of those moments have been good ones, and in the main we have worked as a team. I am grateful that there has been little acrimony over the year, and especially while the six new councillors have been learning the ropes ( which we will continue to do for sometime yet!). I am grateful for the collegiality. I hope it continues, and does not slide towards the next election. We should not be distracted by the small petty minded stuff. The focus for Wellington needs to be directed to the priorities, and particularly economic growth for the city. Generally though, there are many more great things about being a City Councillor than not! The people contact, and achieving things behind the scenes , and out of the media eye is so rewarding. It has been a year, and it continues to be a great honour to serve the community, and Wellington. We have just the best Capital City in the world, and I look forward to working with others, to help maintain and progress upon that in the future! Thank you for your support.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 22:30:21 +0000
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