Taking care of things taken for granted
OPINION: Our everyday lives revolve around a lot of things that we simply take for granted. We expect to wake up every morning, get up and turn on the shower, flush the loo, make a cup of tea and get to work or school or recreation, easily and without any challenges.
We want homes that are warm and dry, roads and footpaths that are in great condition and parks, gardens, playgrounds, libraries, pools and town centres that are clean and well maintained. We expect that our restaurants will be hygienic and that beauty and hair salons comply with healthy practices, that our rubbish will be taken care of for us and that all new homes will be well-built.
How often domost of us think about how this all comes about? How loudly do we protest if the things we take for granted are suddenly not working?
How often dowe think about how much it costs? The fact is, it costs a lot to manage and grow a good city. Cities that don’t grow and improve their facilities are cities that fail their residents and the residents of the future.
These issues arewhat councils consider every day. Prioritising the necessities and how we pay for it. Councils must make difficult decisions to balance must haves against nice to haves while always thinking of what is best for the community. Reliable infrastructure and good policies are a necessity for any fastgrowing city and Hutt City is growing fast.
Climate change is putting increasing pressure on our infrastructure and on how we need to live.
Making sure we are looking after the basics has been the mantra ofHutt City Council in the past two and a half years. Being concerned for every resident and business during the Covid pandemic while keeping new projects progressing for everyone to look forward to has been a key focus.
Improving our infrastructure with increased funding on our three waters, funding our share of RiverLink and Tupua Horo Nuku shared pathway, funding Naenae Pool, Naenae and Wainuiomata Shopping Centre improvements and our new rubbish and recycling system are all things to be proud of.
I doubt there is another city that has as much going on while still keeping rates under the rate of inflation. Our council, ably led by Mayor Campbell Barry, has navigatedwide-ranging issues setting up strategies which will see us move into the future with confidence.
I amproud our council has listened to our community through extensive consultation arriving at a place which gives me great hope for the future of Hutt City. It iswith this knowledge that I have decided I will be stepping away from my role as a councillor at the next election.
We have an extremely qualified and experienced mayor and council who are dedicated to carrying on this work.
It continues to be a privilege to serve this city. At the end of this triennium I will have completed a total of three terms as aHutt City councillor following many years of involvement in Hutt related volunteer organisations.
It’s time for me to take a step aside and let the wonderful, young and interesting people who have become my great friends and colleagues carry on. If you are interested I encourage you to stand for council.