Councillors see Community Boards as a waste of time

"Councillors who think Community Boards are a waste of time and want to get rid of them should come clean," says Burwood/Pegasus City Council candidate Glenn Livingstone.

He was commenting on a statement by the Mayor at a recent Golf Links Residents' Association meeting that "some" Councillors saw Community Boards as "a waste of time."

"Councillors who have this opinion about Community Boards should be up-front with their views," said Mr Livingstone, "because the public is entitled to know about their stance in election year." He calls on Cr. Gail Sheriff to declare her stance on community boards.

“The Residents Associations in the ward are the grass-roots of the community. In the course of my meeting with them, both the energy and the frustrations in the ward have become apparent, including a strong sense of frustration with the Council and Community Board. A better relationship between Council, Community Boards and the community itself is needed. Whether it’s a walking group that needs funding, more common-sense bus routes, removing graffiti, or building good public toilets in the New Brighton Mall, we need to cut through red tape and build good relationships and get these things done”, says Livingstone.

Glenn Livingstone noted that the effectiveness of community boards had been hampered in recent years by funding cuts made by the City Council.  He said he fully supported Jim Anderton's commitment to restore community board funding to previous levels, because local decision-making should be in local hands.

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