Brian Anderson The Western Front www.sunlive.co.nz

I have had a number of phone calls from irate residents angry over their rates bills, but a similar number are still calling over the stormwater issues.

The rates were decided long ago, and the stormwater issues need money which the council doesn't have. The third problem, and our last chance to have our say and change the council, is to lodge an appeal or objection to council's proposed representation review before October 8.

Most believe our problems with council stem from the council's unwillingness to allow open communication with the ratepayers. This has been common with other districts, but most other councils are now moving away from a centralised control model and are delegating more management functions to local centres or communities of interest. Council's representation strategy is to avoid this model like a plague. You can read their plan and try to follow their logic in the ‘Review of Representation Arrangements for the 2013 Local Elections' notice which is available on Council's home page - www.westernbay.govt.nz

Only one person out of 90 approved the original plan; many said, or implied, they didn't understand what council was suggesting and rejected the initial plan. Others were a little more polite and tried to fill in the major gaps, like which groups in the community might the council be planning for and how is the new structure supposed work. Council has ignored the rejection and has written the missing parts to suit themselves. Even in the notice, they have had to admit that they still don't know who they are talking about, or how the new system will accommodate any useful communication links between the council and the public.

Whether you are appealing as a previous submitter or just objecting to the final plan, your message has to be the same. The whole representation process must start again. The people have to understand what council is talking about and have their chance to contribute to the review. If we do nothing, we are voting for business as usual with the council staying behind closed doors, and we won't get another chance for six years.

The council's final version of their representation review has been constructed by ignoring the public submissions, and the final structure, which should be allowing local management functions, is nonexistent. Your appeal or objection against the council decision to the Local Government Commission has to be addressed to Catherine McKerras at WBOP District Council, or emailed to [email protected]

Email me: [email protected] or phone 07 549 2962. I will either help you directly or give you names of others in your area.