When my children were much younger it was a rare weekend that we did not turn up at the Dunedin Botanic Garden or Otago Museum.
At the garden we usually steered towards the New Zealand plant collection, then zig-zag down through the rock garden, always looking out for spiny aciphylla to test.
Cue "no, Pat, no, don’t sit on that!" for the Dr Seuss reference.
The playground was also on the route.
If it was raining, the museum would call, to the Animal Attic, the Maritime Gallery, or whichever section grabbed our interest that week. Moana Pool or the Port Chalmers Pool might also get a look in.
During the week, there would be trips to the public library, either in the city or at Port Chalmers.
Sometimes in the school holidays we stayed at a friend’s crib at Waikouaiti and then we would walk to the library there instead.
We became familiar with playgrounds around the city while one or other of the children was at music or some other activity after school.
St Leonards Park, a short walk from our house, was the site for ball games, kite flying and rolling down the hill.
At other weekends we walked through the bush at Ross Creek and nearly as often but with more puffing, up the Pineapple Track to Flagstaff.
On a hot afternoon the paddling pool at Woodhaugh Gardens was perfect for a stop. While out at these places we would meet old friends or make new ones.
These experiences are an important part of growing up in Dunedin and they all enriched my children’s childhoods.
They also helped see their parents through those busy years when there were young children in the house.
They are all services and amenities provided by the Dunedin City Council.
What’s more, apart from the swimming pools, they come at no charge over what I pay in my rates. Many people are under financial pressure.
These no-charge or low-charge services are available to everyone and help lower the costs of bringing up a family.
We hear calls for councils to stick to the basics. The amenities and services that all residents depend on for their cultural and social life are just as basic as rubbish, recycling, roads and water.
Calls to cut back spending or "get back to basics" are misguided because they ignore so much of what is important about living and growing up in a community.
Local government’s share of GDP in New Zealand has stuck around 2% since before 1900 (apart from a brief foray into the 4% zone during the Great Depression of the 1930s).
There is a realisation now that this is not enough as costs increase while the government shifts more responsibilities to local government.
No council gets everything right all of the time, but we have been getting very good value for money from our local councils for decades.
I am pleased to be living in a country where our local councils provide services that everyone can afford. That is enormously enriching for the lives of families living in our towns and cities.
— Alan Somerville is an Otago regional councillor.
