Minister for Local Government and former ‘perkbuster' Rodney Hide, ACT MP, has been rumbled yet again as a hollow minister.

Another ‘don't do as I do, do as I say merchant'. Not only busted for carting his girlfriend around the world at yours and mine expense, but, and this is the truly telling part, for being a patsy to his ministerial role. At a Local Government Zone Two conference I attended around Easter this year, Rodney waxed lyrical about ‘his reforms' that he was going to perpetrate for the good of all hard-done-by ratepayers. Back to basic core infrastructure, ‘roads, rates and rubbish' (he got the last one right) and a limit of rates increase. For a nano second, a flash of hope glazed my eyes until reality returned. Seven months on, and a 10 day round-the-world-trip later, and reality has fallen on the Minister.
‘Local Government Sir Humphreys' (bureaucrats in the Minister's department) have won resoundingly, confirmed by cabinet, that this Minister is a hollow effigy of a real one, like many before him, making inspirational utterances with no substance. No rates increases controls as there never were going to be. It's obvious government can't impose any rates increase controls when it is government who are sending legislation and requirements for councils to implement – but with no taxpayer money to pay for it.

Kicking the problem
'Core infrastructure” has now expanded in ministerial speak to include heritage, culture, recreation and libraries and other services councils do. The Minister's underwhelming revelations in his ministerial press release last week was a knockout win in round two. System 2 Rodney 0. The main highlight of what local government will get under his ministry is a statement of financial position to ratepayers prior to next year's election. You get one of these regularly through this column and any new water supply will have to include a ‘BOOT' option. That's a patsy to his mates in the business roundtable for a finance package, ‘Build, Own, Operate, Transfer', where private enterprise pillages and plunders water users to recoup the cost of building and operating the plant until it's paid its capital, plus interest, back to the investors – plus of course tax, profit, directors fees and other extras. Then and only then does it revert to council ownership. It's fascinating the lengths these people who preach the benefits of privatisation and competition will go to, to get their hands on a monopoly – ‘So we'll all be better off.'

Watch the shambles unfold
Back in the 90s I was at a conference where Richard Prebble and Roger Kerr were preaching the benefits of water supply privatisation. At the time, Tauranga had just built the Joyce Road microfiltration plant and as chairman of the projects committee I was fully informed as to the implications of water supply costs and operation; unlike the two speakers. During question time I asked Richard Prebble how the introduction of tax, profit and director fees would benefit consumers and he replied saying that one example was that we would reduce our staff from 24 to 12. It brought the house down when I told him we were running the new plant with four. So that's it for Rodney Hide in my opinion. John Key and his National government have not done NZ any favours with this appointment. If we are to be in-sync with central government then local government needed better than this appointment. Just watch the shambles that will unfold in Auckland over the next few years. But then I suppose they will (with some justification) have Rodney as their fall guy. I came across this gem – ‘Politicians are interested in people. Not that this is always a virtue; fleas are interested in dogs'.

Council books: what to expect
On the subject of Tauranga city's financials, here's a 'Rodney type snapshot” 12 months early. Total debt $373.4 million. Total ratepayer funded debt $216.9m. Total internal debt $115.3 million. Total external debt $277.5 million. Anticipated rate increase for election year – about the same as last year's 10.9 per cent, give or take, with the year after that even more. And, sad to say, the make up of the 2010-2013 council won't be able to significantly reduce that, but of course will be able to increase it – no problem.

It's all in a name
At transportation taskforce, ‘The Agency', formerly Transit, had soothing words for concerns over four laning through Bethlehem township. It's now renamed, 'Bethlehem Township Improvement.” Ah – that feels better already doesn't it? It's not a Hewletts Road lookalike we were assured, even though it's got two roundabouts 300 metres apart with two pedestrian crossings. It's designed as an 'interim” measure, even though the planned bypass around the back of Bethlehem, the Northern Arterial, is 10-15 years away. Kevin Reid from ‘The Agency' told the committee, 'The situation will be much safer than the existing situation.” I suppose it will be if peak traffic jams to a standstill between two roundabouts and two pedestrian crossings and all parking on the north side of the road is gone.

A touch of flavour and character
At strategy and policy committee, elected members adopted the draft naming policy for streets, reserves and council facilities.
The killjoys wanted to ban the terms Dell, Heights, Hill, Key and Mews to conform to 'revised standards AS/NZS 4819”. I kid you not. Nine years of socialist government and this is what they got down to. I moved and my colleagues supported retention of these names, which add a touch of flavour and character. The one submitter who appeared agreed that council has to be the final arbiter of names after the consultative process.
We also adopted social infrastructure planning guidelines on the basis that it's what council already does and I supported it on this basis. Staff assured us that it was not an open cheque book for any future socialist minded council to open the floodgates for ‘do-gooding'. Many of us thought that it reeked of community ratepayers action pay up.

Council collaboration
Environment BOP presented to us on water sustainability into the future. I asked if the key to water sustainability was cost.
The presenter said she hadn't thought of that; yet another step closer to my proposal for a stepped water tariff to reward those who minimise their water usage. Despite rejection often by council, this proposal will eventually hold water – pun intended.