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Objective
Peter’s primary purpose is to
have both Councils work more effectively together to increase
co-operation and sustain costs.
Vision
Water &
Environment
Water is Peter’s main area of
concern. This includes safe drinking water and having enough in the
Waimakariri River to maintain the eco-system (whitebait and other river
and sea life).
Water - Central Plains.
Peter questions the need
to put in money from the Christchurch City Council to the Trust when it
is associated with a company that the Council does not 100% own or
control. He believes Councils need to ensure the quality of water for
drinking and farming by limiting
subdivision
and specifying land used for farming as
they do in Europe.
Peter is concerned about the
future and sustainability
with regard to the Waimakariri River the affects of
removing additional water from this river with the demands of current
and future wells for irrigation.
Long term the requirement might mean that the
people
affected have to buy bottled water, in the event that some of the best
drinking tap water is no longer available.
Laws and Plans that are in place need to make a more common sense
approach to consider the big picture of higher transport costs, less
land availability to grow food crops and having an increased
population. The Government and Councils need to consider greater long
term plans to preserve eco-systems that deliver food and water to make
districts more sustainable from both an environmental and financial
perspective for the future. Unlimited increases in dairy farming cannot
continue to go unchecked by Councils. Lastly by creating sustainability
it is necessary to have areas set aside for growing food which can not
be
built
on.
Transport:
Christchurch City Council’s
shareholding in Christchurch International Airport Limited must benefit
Christchurch more
such as fog landing
facilities
e.g. to have equipment that allows
for aircraft to land in fog as they are undertaking in Auckland.
During the Annual Plan
hearing Peter did not support the additional financial input for Jade
Stadium. He also suggests reducing the cost and increasing free shuttle
bus using other terminating services that end at Hoyts and the
Christchurch Casino.
Peter is concerned at the
short-sighted approach to current civic planning with regard to parking
a transport.
This year Peter attempted to
question the Council’s financial input to Jade Stadium, Tourism and
Visitor promotion by reducing the costs of the free shuttle bus with
using other terminating services that end at Hoyts and The Casino.
When Christchurch’s new Art
Gallery was going though the RMA process Peter wanted to create a bus
lane and more car parks
created to be included in the art gallery building, due to bringing more people into the City. There was no legal
requirement for additional car parking.
Environment Canterbury is
responsible for buses to and from Christchurch that accept Metro cards
with the Council being responsible for free buses and all bus stops.
One of Peter’s goals as Mayor
is to reduce traffic. To achieve this would be to ensure buses are a
more viable and convenient option for the people of Canterbury. He
suggests that having Bus Exchanges within City Malls and outside areas
offers convenient access to passengers. These Exchanges would provide
retail outlets where passengers can shop to purchase food and beverages
while they also shelter from the weather. Parking areas for passenger’s
vehicles in outlining areas would be required to allow passengers to
connect smoothly and out of the weather with bus services.
Financial:
Funding of both local Councils and Central Government needs to be
revised with respect of financing projects. Peter is
suggesting that we let Government authorise
New
Zealand reserve Bank
to create Credit to fund projects within New Zealand rather than suggesting we
borrow Japanese Yen to get a low interest rate.
History demonstrates that
Reserve Banks (Government Bank) from different countries have
successfully created Credit which went into their financial system.
Most of this Credit was created during the Depression. Governments
using created money from their Reserve Bank are illustrated in the
following examples; USA - New Deal and Hoover Dam, Germany -
Autobahn,
New Zealand - housing, forestry, roads and rail (when Michael Joseph
Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister). In the Depression,
families lived in homes owned by the Government using the Reserve Bank’s
created Credit to finance these rather than borrow money off Commercial
Banks which was more expensive and financially unsustainable.
The Treaties that created the
European Union prohibit the Central European Bank from creating credit
however the Central European Bank regulates the amount that private
banks are able to create Credit. This currently happens in New Zealand
with respect to the Reserve Bank by letting private banks create Credit
which is giving the Banking community a tax cut at the expense of the
Country.
The paper flow for Mayor and
Council needs to have additional expertise like Ministers and Prime
Ministers already have to ensure that the Chief Executive and staff
advice is independent and correct
.
Council meetings and
consultation processes could be enhanced with options to allow staff and
members of the public to gain protected and secure on line access for
questions and suggestions relevant
to the
issues being dealt with at the time.
Peter goal is to improve the transparency of Council to get sound long
term decisions with the help and input of others. This means any whistle
blower information would be public
This process would therefore improve the transparency of
Council informed decisions.
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