Issues complex and divisive

OPINION: It's just as well Invercargill is hosting the Buskers Festival, the Summer Festival and the Surf to City run, because the political issues we are facing are complex, divisive and will have a significant impact on our future, writes Tim Shadbolt this week.

During the past week we have debated standards in schools, whether to amalgamate the Southland and Otago health boards and the proposal to introduce a three-bin system for solid waste.

In my view, the national standards in schools should be trialled before they are enforced in schools throughout New Zealand, the health boards should not be amalgamated and the decision on the three-bin system should be delayed until we have more detailed information on the costs, verified by an independent audit.

Of all the issues facing our community, the most important one from the council's point of view is solid waste management and the proposed three-bin system. Advocates of this concept want the $100 million contract signed by March and even Geoff Piercy, who strongly supports the three-bin system, admitted on television this week that some councillors were not fully informed. I believe it's more a case of councillors receiving incorrect or contradictory information.

We were constantly informed that green waste could not be sent to Kings Bend, that we had no option because of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 or that we were following in the footsteps of Auckland, but none of this was true.

I still don't believe we have been fully informed of all the costs involved in a three-bin system.

Recycling at source requires huge expenditure on education. We are still unable to stop people dumping old tyres and household rubbish at Oreti Beach. Imagine how much re-education will be required to teach people that all their garden/green waste materials go into bin X but first you must separate out all the cabbage tree leaves and flax because they can't go into bin X as they block up the composting machine.

Following the system adopted by Timaru and Christchurch may provide us with the most environmentally pure system for dealing with solid waste, but it is by far the most expensive system. With unemployment increasing rapidly, can those on fixed incomes afford another $100 being added to their rates?

Recycling may make you feel good but is it really practical? While two councils have adopted a three-bin system, 65 councils have rejected the concept because it is too expensive. The three-bin system will mean solid waste management will have a greater impact on our rates than the combined cost of the stadium, the velodrome, zero fees, The World's Fastest Indian, the Civic Theatre upgrade and the inner-city upgrade. I doubt that many innovative or exciting new initiatives will emerge from Invercargill for the next decade unless we strike oil.

The other concerns I have is that the three bins will be compulsory so that farmers and those on lifestyle blocks will be forced to pay for three bins even though they don't need them. I'm also upset that small contractors such as Joe's Bins will be wiped out.

On the 17th of this month, I'll be holding a mayoral poll and I'd really appreciate your input.

The other urgent issue we face is the amalgamation of our health board with Otago's. As with recycling, the concept of southern unity sounds great and with a higher level of consultation our council may have accepted the proposal. The concern I have is that Southland's level of representation will be reduced from seven to three, with probably one representative for Southland, one for Invercargill and one for Queenstown.

There is also the danger of Southland's hospital becoming a first-aid outpost, with resources and senior staff being siphoned off to Dunedin. Generally speaking, I don't oppose changes aimed at improving our institutions, but experience has taught me that major changes can contain many fishhooks. Sometimes evolution is superior to revolution, and change for change's sake can be addictive.

When the Auckland Regional Council invited David Beckham to play football at Mt Smart Stadium, I'm sure they believed it would enhance the status of our biggest city and bring joy to its citizens. Instead it lost $1.8 million of ratepayers' money. Its motives were pure but it didn't carefully weigh up all the advantages and disadvantages, and that was its downfall.

In local government we have to be innovative, exciting and inspirational but we also have to be responsible and consider all the options.

Contradictory? Yes, but what a challenge!

» Tim Shadbolt is the mayor of Invercargill.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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