An angry ratepayer walked out, and the confrontational style
of others, angered councillors, as the heat in submissions
rose during the second day of the Dunedin City Council annual
plan hearings yesterday.
The subject of many of yesterday's submissions remained the
same as Monday, returning again and again to thorny issues
including the contentious Lovelock Ave realignment and
changes to the way some rural properties and bed and
breakfast establishments were rated.
However, after a relatively calm start to the three-day
hearing on Monday, the tone of many of yesterday's
submissions featured a noticeable return to a more
confrontational style from some submitters.
Dunedin man Phillip Day walked out moments after confronting
councillors over shambolic changes to city parking introduced
last year, saying he had not been consulted, before cutting
his submission short and leaving.
Geraldine Tait, of Waitati, caused anger after criticising
perceived council inaction over the development of a South
Dunedin library.
She claimed "definite plans" for a South Dunedin library in
2007 had been replaced by a "suspicious silence" among
councillors this year, as a plan to relocate the central
library from Moray Pl to the former Chief Post Office
building was considered.
"Is this the case of the mysterious disappearing
library?"Personally, I smell a very large rat," she told
councillors.
Testy exchanges followed after Ms Tait asked councillors to
respond to her concerns.
Cr Bill Acklin pointed out rules meant councillors could only
ask questions, not debate submitters' opinions, to which Ms
Tait retorted: "I will just let you contemplate that late at
night, with your conscience."
That prompted an interjection from Cr Fliss Butcher, who
asked Mayor Peter Chin: "Why do we have to sit here and be
browbeaten year after year by this submitter? It's just
rudeness."
Mr Chin allowed Ms Tait to continue, despite her submission
running over time, but the tone continued when submitter
Arthur Heenan accused the council of being "dishonest" in
changing his property's rating classification from farmland
to residential.
"For the DCC, or any other agency, to designate our farm as
anything other than farmland is totally dishonest, and they
would have no moral or legal right to do so," he declared.
And the elected representatives even sparred with themselves,
when Mr Chin prevented Cr Michael Guest from debating a point
with a submitter concerned about the Lovelock Ave
realignment.
Cr Guest protested he was only attempting to clarify points
of fact: "Why don't you allow us to get to that stage, and
then I will shut up?" Cr Guest asked Mr Chin.
"No, I would rather shut you up now," Mr Chin replied.
Councillors sitting for 21 hours over two days have now heard
from 127 submitters.
The submissions conclude today.
chris.morris@odt.co.nz
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