ACT Leader David Seymour said “ACT has been focused on
tackling the cost of living, wasteful spending, and co-governance in central
government. But when I travel the country, I’m constantly told that local
councils have failed to address these same concerns at the local level.”
He said it was time “for a clean-out”.
In a decision released on the 24th of March, Justice
Karen Grau found the WDC’s conduct to defy the directive was unlawful. She
noted that the council's evidence, including expert testimony on potential
health risks, did not demonstrate immediate risks sufficient to justify interim
orders, especially given that over half of New Zealand has had fluoridated
water for decades without evident widespread harm.
Justice Grau said it was unlikely the council would succeed
in its broader challenge against the directive’s safety and legality.
As a result of the failed injunction, the council commenced
fluoridation of the town supply on 24 March. It is still considering whether to
continue with its legal challenge.
Further information
RNZ article: Whangārei District Council bows to government directive to add fluoride to water supply Here >>>
Northern Advocate: Whangārei to fluoridate water after court dismisses district council’s challenge Here >>>
“Nothing screeches louder than the brakes on the gravy train”. – Anonymous
We cannot recall a previous
occasion where security has been called to remove a member from the chamber. While
councillors sometimes have acrimonious exchanges, very rarely does it escalate
to the point of calling security to remove a belligerent councillor from a meeting.
The extraordinary meeting was
called after the Council received a letter from the Director General of Health
on the 30th of January. That letter restated their position that it
was an offence under the Health Act for a local authority to contravene a
Ministry of Health direction.
A staff report prepared for the meeting said the council had received legal advice that councillors may be held personally liable for any losses incurred as a result of their “unlawful” action or imprisonment!
Should the offer go ahead, MMH
will be delisted from the stock exchange. The Port of Tauranga would own 50%,
NRC 43%, and Ngāpuhi 7%.
Currently, the NRC owns a 53.6%
controlling stake in MMH. The proposal would see it sell down its holding to 43%,
and it has stated that it may make a further 7% available to other Maori groups
which would reduce its holding to 36%. LETTERBOX has asked the NRC to clarify
whether it will be consulting with the public on the sell-down. We will publish
their reply in the next issue.
The deal effectively gives the Port of Tauranga control of the port and the substantial land holdings owned by MMH.
He says poor decisions have added
to rate increases. “Rates are out of control and the Government is taking
action for councils to do the basics brilliantly, rather than pursuing
expensive extras that burden ratepayers…”.
The specific changes include:
The 70,000 visitors “forecast” is
considerably less than the numbers presented to the public at the time the project
was promoted by Prosper Northland Trust, which had been formed to steer the
project. This is how they described it:
“Hundertwasser & Wairau Maori Art Centre is an unprecedented catalyst for growth in Whangarei District. The Deloitte Feasibility Study and Economic Impact Assessment have been reviewed and updated by leading Wellington-based consultants Crowe Horwarth, engaged by Prosper Northland Trust…This review confirms the Deloitte report as being conservative…Deloitte’s representatives stood in WDC’s Council Chamber in 2011 and expressed the utmost confidence that their findings would be vindicated. They found that even in the prevailing circumstances some 150,000 people would visit the art centre annually…
According to the NZ Parliament
website, the purpose of the Bill is:
“to enable the safe use of
gene technology and regulated organisms in New Zealand. The intention is to establish
a new regulatory regime for gene technology and genetically modified organisms
(GMOs).“
They say the Bill seeks to provide (among other things) for—
·
a flexible legislative framework able to
accommodate future technological and policy developments without frequent
amendment:
·
international alignment, including with key
trading partners, to facilitate trade and improve access to new technologies:
·
ways to recognise and give effect to the
Crown’s obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.
Cr Ruka’s comments provoked a barrage of hostile comments and threats against Cr Olsen
which LETTERBOX understands has been referred to the police.
What was revealing about the
social media comments was the reference to a “Racist Register” that a network
of Maori activists use to target certain individuals. That network includes “kaimahi” (workers) within the WDC.
Social media comments... see full discussion HERE >>>