'Community boards have worth'

Seven Tasman residents, including five representatives from the district's two community boards, have picked apart a report on community governance.

They took turns speaking during a public forum at a Tasman District Council meeting last week, pointing out missing information and errors in the report by council chief executive Paul Wylie.

The report is the starting block for a review of the district's two community boards in Golden Bay and Motueka, community councils and associations.

Councillors agreed to join representatives from the community bodies in a series of workshops. These meetings will discuss a range of issues including delegations, targeted rates and the strained relationship between the council and community boards.

The Golden Bay board's four elected members went over points in a 15-page report they wrote, which disputes many of Mr Wylie's report points. The board members asked for his report to be withdrawn and rewritten.

Their report expresses frustration with the two boards' lack of delegation. It cites a Local Government Commission recommendation in 2007 for a thorough review of community board delegations.

"Delegations which are not granted willingly will not work. We have always been willing to receive them.

"It is clear that council is more afraid of our ability than our inability."

The board also wants more involvement in planning for the council's long-term plans and to see removal of the two boards' "illegal" targeted rates.

Motueka Community Board chairman David Ogilvie said he wanted councillors, the mayor and staff to recognise community boards had worth and value.

He wants to see the relationship between the boards and council develop to be better than what it had been over the last three years.

Mr Wylie said his report was the beginning of an attempt for a more constructive relationship. There was a history of personality clashes which stretched back before he started the job.

- © Fairfax NZ News