A representation review team has recommended the number of Dunedin community boards be cut from six to five, with fewer members on each board. Shawn McAvinue talks to board heads.
Chalmers Community Board
Chairman Steve Walker, of Port Chalmers, said the proposal had him worried as to the future of community boards.
''It's the slow boat to elimination.''
However, he agreed with board member numbers being reduced to four. Some boards were more efficient than others but he would not name the boards with ''ineffective members''.
''I don't think numbers necessarily relate to quality. What equates to quality is the quality of the individuals.''
He feared one ward could result in no representation around the council table for the Chalmers catchment, especially after Cr Andrew Noone left the council.
''Which is a real shame ... it's going to be hard without numbers out here to get anyone elected to council unless they are extremely well connected or have strong name recognition.''
The proposed new boundaries would result in Ravensbourne residents not being represented by the board.
''We battle very, very hard for Ravensbourne.''
The board would also lose representing Maia and St Leonards.
Mosgiel Taieri Community Board
Chairman Bill Feather, of Mosgiel, had ''mixed feelings'' about the proposal but struggled to argue against the reasoning for the recommendations.
Councillors served for the good of the whole electorate and he expected them to continue doing so if three wards became one.
Many residents in the board's catchment wanted to be able to vote for the 14 candidates and not be limited to voting for two candidates.
''People are able to choose those who are sympathetic to their area and the issues that are of concern - so that's got to be a good thing.''
The proposed ''loss'' of the Mosgiel Taieri Community Board was a ''disappointment'' but the community could rally other ways, such as the Taieri Community Facilities Trust was doing for a new pool.
Otago Peninsula Community Board
Chairwoman Christine Garey, of Broad Bay, said she believed the review was working towards the ''abolition'' of community boards.
The move would not sit well with the community, she said.
''Our board is a very effective board and we represent the community extremely well.''
The board originated after a petition by residents on the peninsula to the Local Government Commission in 2002. The residents felt they were not represented by the council and wanted a community board.
She had no problem with the proposed boundary changes with the board not representing Tomahawk.
''However, I do believe we have represented them [Tomahawk] very well and I worry for them because there is no guarantee a councillor would be elected from that area, given the new ward system.''
She did not support community boards having fewer members.
''The workload is already very busy.''
Strath Taieri Community Board
Deputy chairwoman Joan Wilson, of Middlemarch, said she was ''very disappointed'' the Mosgiel Taieri and Strath Taieri Community Boards would make way for the Rural Community Board.
The area was too ''huge'' for a single board to cover, she said.
''Especially if they are down to four people. Rural people have the right to be represented.''
She was ''concerned'' a single ward would result in no councillor representing the rural community.
''At the moment, I would ring Kate Wilson and Mike Lord and we would expect them to represent our concern.''
Rural people thought differently than city people, Mrs Wilson said.
Saddle Hill Community Board
Chairman Scott Weatherall, of Brighton, said the review proposed the ''opposite'' of what the Saddle Hill board wanted.
The board wanted the re-establishment of a Saddle Hill/Green Island ward councillor and was ''surprised'' by the disestablishment of the three wards.
The Saddle Hill board asked for its catchment to be increased to include Green Island, Concord and Blackhead but the proposal had removed suburbs.
''We are pretty gutted they are proposing to remove Fairfield, Abbotsford and the rural Chain Hills area away from us because we feel we have represented that community very, very well.''
Decreasing the number of board members was ''not good''.
''I genuinely think - hand on heart - all six of our community board members currently are contributing well.''
The board had a huge part to play in the flood last week ''Because we didn't get support from the city, we didn't get support from police, we have one fire truck doing a huge amount of work, the reality is, our six board members stepped up and managed a civil defence emergency.''
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board
Chairman Gerard Collings, of Waikouaiti, said he was ''disappointed'' by the proposal on community boards.
''The signal from the representation review committee is that maybe the time for community boards is almost gone. Which is not a view shared by our board.''
Boards ''added value'' by representing rural communities.
However, he was ''comfortable'' with the change to the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board boundary, with a section of Sawyers Bay moving to the Chalmers board area.
He would not be supporting one ward because it could result in the loss of direct representation at the council, he said.
''I am concerned about the outcome. There is a need for rural representation around the council table.''
