UCLA Demands Resignation of EW bosses.

Reacting to what it calls a failure of good governance at Waikato Regional Council, a Coromandel conservation group today demanded the resignation of both the Chair of the Waikato Regional Council, Jenny Vernon and the CEO of Environment Waikato, Mr Harry Wilson. The Upper Coromandel Landcare Association (UCLA) states that EW is out of touch and out of control. As primary evidence it points to this month¹s release of a Pest Strategy long on ham-fisted enforcement and short on responsiveness to the community.

"The Pest plan fiasco has left EW saddled with a monster policy unlike comparable regions. Farmers, hunters, residents will all pay the price which is through the roof and heading skyward.. says UCLA¹s spokesperson Reihana Robinson. "Tasman/Nelson Pest Strategy limits the increase in rates to 3% unlike EW whose rates more than quadruple in 4 years. This is local government masquerading as big business".

"The people need some relief and the best relief would be Harry Wilson¹s resignation from his incredible $242,000 plus a car pay packet. Having ignored hundreds of submitters and squandered hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process, Wilson and his staff, in their comfy offices, have again demonstrated they are incapable of responding to community concerns.

"Also there is ample evidence of toxins such as 1080 being forced on communities against their wishes. That is in clear violation of the Local Government Act where council is expected to take account of the community¹s interests. This smacks of a police state mentality. Too bad if the people say no, we say yes. They have clearly lost the plot. We need competent representatives who will not squander ratepayer monies on a burgeoning pest industrial complex." Robinson said.

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