Paula Thompson BOP Regional Councillor www.envbop.govt.nz

Recently I attended the Philanthropy NZ conference, a non-profit organisation which exists to foster generosity in New Zealand. Two standout speakers were brothers, aged eight and 10, who told how they have three money boxes; one for saving, one for spending and one for giving. When they showed slides of how they decided on their charitable causes they supported, it was the stuff of magic. And the impact of the children's presentation was not only a whip round the room to raise funds for their causes, but a swarm of conversations of what could be learned and done as a result of pure generosity of thoughts and deeds. A ten minute presentation by two young children became a lasting inspiration for many.
And that made me think about ‘inspiration' and the kind of communities we are building for today and tomorrow. Most councils in New Zealand are reviewing long term plans. These set out what councils intend to do during the next 10 years and how they intend to resource it. The plans are publicly reviewable every three years so communities and council can agree on any changes necessary to the long-term picture.
The regional council has recently started a community engagement process which asks the basic question – what kind of place do we want for the next 10-20 years and how do we get it? The regional council has a big geographical area taking in Tauranaga, Western BOP, Rotorua and Eastern BOP, with many diverse communities and ‘issues'. The challenges are big, but exciting – if we can bring balanced yet inspirational thinking to bear on the challenges and opportunities.
I'm sure BOP communities want our beautiful and unique environment protected and enhanced. Similarly we want communities which enable fulfilling and safe lives. But the hard issues are around the priorities and how they can be progressed in recessionary times. In local government, much of the public debate focuses on the use of revenue instruments like rates, user-charges and development fees. But local government has a much deeper tool box than revenue alone. Huge things can be done with money along with imagination, creativity, innovation, enthusiasm and productive ways of working as in partnerships, networking and collaborations. In recessionary times, it is even more important to use many tools to find the ways to create the communities we want now and in the future. What we need is a focus on the positives and a commitment to working innovatively.
I am hoping as we look to shape the future, we can be positive, grateful, caring and bold and realise that just like the children...money alone will never be enough.
To contact me email [email protected] or phone 027 222 2419.