Let us watch

our region’s councils won’t allow us to watch live as important decisions are made, unless we find the time to turn up to the council chambers.

The honourable exceptions to this are the Horowhenua District Council, which broadcasts its meetings on Facebook, allowing anyone to tune in, and Whanganui District Council.

We’ve moved on from the days where Parliament made its decisions in the dead of night, but the likes of Palmerston North City Council, Horizons Regional Council and the Midcentral District Health Board are still operating in front of nobody.

This month, the DHB was the latest authority to discuss livestreaming.

Horowhenua mayor and DHB member Michael Feyen rightly pointed out his district council livestreams with a minimum of expense and attracts a viewership in the hundreds, if not thousands. Although, there’s possibly a ‘‘freak show’’ element to this, as warring factions on a divided council go the full 12 rounds.

Other livestreaming councils in New Zealand attract fewer viewers but, like Horowhenua, they demonstrate how such an obviously beneficial means of enhancing participation in local government can work with a single camera or ipad and a free social media account.

The Palmerston North City Council has tied itself in knots about the issue, with councillors deciding they couldn’t possibly use Facebook and must have a goldplated ‘‘official’’ record of proceedings, with a hefty $100,000 a year pricetag.

What nonsense. Elected representatives who think it’s OK that council debates can only be heard live by people forced to watch in person are asleep to the dangers of shutting the door on transparency.

At a time when local body voting turnout plunges to depressing new lows every election, councils must do everything they can to muster interest and allow easy access to what’s going on.

It’s as a simple as a touch of a button.