People and poverty the priorities for far-sighted Porirua councillors

PORIRUA Mayor Nick Leggett has hit out at Government suggestions that councils should stick to core services such as sewage, roads and libraries.

Porirua City Council’s longterm plan, which outlines spending for the next 10 years, includes a vision of a poverty-free city, and Mr Leggett insists it has a ‘‘moral obligation’’ to stamp out child poverty.

Such social crusading goes against Local Government Minister Nick Smith’s plans to pare back the scope of councils’ functions so they have control only of essential local services – waste, water, roads, libraries and consents. Sweeping reforms to narrow local councils’ responsibilities and reduce soaring debt levels were on the horizon, Dr Smith said this week.

But Mr Leggett said councils did not have to throw ratepayers’ money at social problems. Instead, they could advocate to governments and work with social, heath and education services to ‘‘look for solutions’’.

‘‘We’re not a service provider, the council is crystal clear on that. This is about advocacy and coordination,’’ he said. The longterm plan had ‘‘more to it than just the bricks and mortar. It’s actually about people’’.

‘‘The plan sets out in a lot of detail what we want to do and how we’re going to do it, but what it lacks at the highest level is why. . . We want to create a better city for the next generation.’’

Feedback from residents on the plan next month was expected to flush out ideas on how to ensure every child could access everything they were entitled to.

‘‘[Such as] going to school every day with food in their stomachs, being able to learn, being developed for careers, being part of a healthy community so they can step up in society and take their place at the table.’’

Porirua is the youngest city in the country, with one quarter of its population aged under 14. It has some of the worst rates of rheumatic fever, a disease linked to social deprivation and overcrowded housing.

The Inside Child Poverty: A Special Report documentary, which screened on television last year, spurred Mr Leggett’s vision for the council to step up.