Fears role rethink will reduce social services in region
There’s disagreement about the impact to centralise a key regional role within the Ministry of Social Development, with Nelson MP Nick Smith saying it would reduce social services in the top of the south.
Janine Dowding is leaving her role as Regional Commissioner for Social Development for Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, to take up the post of chief executive at Tasman District Council on May 28.
Wellington regional commissioner, Louise Waaka, will take over the commissioner’s duties for the Nelson region as well as Wellington.
‘‘The idea that a Wellingtonbased commissioner can be on top of the important social and development issues across our diverse regions is naı¨ve and to the detriment of our region,’’ Smith said.
Dowding had played a critical role in supporting the region’s social development over the last decade, including seeing unemployment drop to two per cent, supporting former refugees into employment and helping address issues like domestic violence, Smith said.
‘‘The Ministry of Social Development is the largest government agency, spending over $400 million a year in benefit support, assisting access to employment and dozens of social services.
‘‘The loss of a locally based Regional Commissioner will undermine the co-ordination of social services and result in a less responsive service for our region.’’
The move ‘‘made a mockery’’ of the coalition"commitment to relocate government functions in the regions, Smith said.
The Ministry said it changed its management structure in September, and regional directors had led the service centre teams in its 11 regions since then.
‘‘With Janine’s departure, we made the decision to retain Nelson/ Marlborough/West Coast as a separate region with a regional director leading the day-to-day operations in the area as they do now,’’ group general manager of client service delivery Kay Read said.
Commissioners focused on work with other agencies, stakeholders, providers and employers.
Waaka was ‘‘highly experienced and capable’’, and would spend half of her time in the Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast area, Read said. Dowding declined to comment. Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese, said the Regional Commissioner played a ‘‘critical role’’ in the region that ‘‘cannot be understated’’.
‘‘The decision has come as a surprise and I have raised concern with MSD officials regarding the concept of having a shared Regional Commissioner.’’
‘‘Local knowledge and connection deliver better outcomes for our community and it is essential that we have no reduction of service from MSD.’’
The Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni, said she had received assurances about delivery of social services in the Nelson region.
‘‘I am assured that MSD has carefully considered the options for the future management of the Nelson Region and are committed to maintaining the excellent level of service the region expects.
‘‘With a highly capable and experienced regional leadership team and Regional Director remaining in Nelson, the Ministry will maintain a strong presence in the area.
‘‘This will ensure that the unique nature of the region, and its people, will be reflected in the Ministry’s decision making.’’
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A multicoloured sculpture by rising international artist Seung Yul Oh is the region’s newest public artwork.
Called Form in Formation, the piece was this week installed next to Richmond Library.
It was nurtured to fruition by the Nelson Sculpture Trust, which raised the $98,000 needed for the project, kicked off by $16,000 in seed money from the Tasman District Council.
New Zealand-Korean artist Oh, who flew from his home at Auckland for the official unveiling yesterday, said he was pleased to see his work in situ.
He drew inspiration for Form in Formation from the physical site, including its location alongside Richmond Library.
‘‘What do you do in the library? There are books to read, a cafe, communications, learning, sharing knowledge, discoveries – all sorts of activities that you can do,’’ Oh said. ‘‘So I wanted to reflect that in a sense.
‘‘If you’re thinking about abstract ideas, in a way that doesn’t have any shapes. I wanted to give a sense of that growth of those ideas or expansion of those ideas. It may be added on to with more spheres and more bubbles, more ideas – an accumulation of thoughts and ideas.’’
People would find their own ways of experiencing the sculpture, he said, ‘‘whether it’s a serious thing or just fun shapes to be amongst’’.
Form in Formation includes a seat and is made of cast aluminium
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with a durable high-quality painted finish.
‘‘The bench, in particular, does encourage interaction,’’ Oh said. ‘‘It’s going to be very well used, I think, which I definitely appreciate.’’
Nelson Sculpture Trust chairman Andrew Greenhough said the Richmond sculpture was the first for the organisation, which was thrilled with the result.
It had prompted a range of reactions from passing members of the public during its installation, ‘‘some positive and some negative’’, Greenhough said. ‘‘It would be a shame if everyone was indifferent.’’
In choosing Oh’s design, the group felt it offered colour and vibrancy and was ‘‘a nice use of the space that occupied it, in a way that allowed flow and movement through it’’.
‘‘We were also conscious of the fact [Oh] was quite an up-andcoming young artist and it was a good opportunity to get in while we could,’’ Greenhough said, adding that as artists became more soughtafter, their prices rose and their time was limited.
‘‘Seung Yul Oh is now in high demand internationally and has only just completed another commission in China, so we . . . feel very privileged to have his work here in Richmond.’’
Oh is a multimedia artist who completed a Master of Fine Arts at