Chairman: ORC not place for `hobby group'

Stephen Woodhead
Stephen Woodhead
There is no place for "a little hobby group'' on the Otago Regional Council and councillors should serve the whole region, rather than just one part of it, says the council chairman following the creation of a Dunstan lobby group within the council.

Cr Michael Laws, of Cromwell, announced in a media statement this week the creation of a partnership of the three Dunstan Ward councillors on the ORC.

The group would pursue ``joint action'' on issues which affect that area.

The ward covers the Central Otago and Queenstown-Lakes districts and is represented by Mr Laws, Dr Maggie Lawton, of Wanaka, and Graeme Bell, of Alexandra.

ORC chairman Stephen Woodhead said the oath taken by ORC councillors included pledging to represent all of Otago.

``It's not a little hobby group, or a constituency-based responsibility. You're there as a governor of the regional council for the whole of the region.

``It's important that it's not about one portion of the region against another or anything like that.''

He was not aware of the creation of the lobby group prior to the statement, he said.

Mr Laws said the group would push for action on local issues such as irrigation, water rights, lagarosiphon, rabbits and lake snot.

Part of the idea was for members to meet on regular basis and discuss issues to jointly lobby.

``Not just at a regional council level, but wider afield as well.''

He had organised meetings with district mayors, councils and community boards to develop relationships, he said.

``It's a really big area, Dunstan, and it has a lot of diverse issues. We want representatives from each community board.''

Dunstan Ward issues were under-represented in the Otago Regional Council, he said.

``And really through no fault of the existing or previous councillors. I think that the three previous councillors, Gerry [Eckhoff], Gary [Kelliher] and Graeme, did a pretty good job actually. Their problem wasn't that they weren't sincerely motivated, but that they weren't perhaps politically organised.''

Cr Maggie Lawton, of Wanaka, said the lobby could help ``get something done'' through annual and long-term plan process.

``It's about giving a lot more strength to the Dunstan Ward.''

Through meetings she found the three Dunstan councillors agreed on most issues.

Cr Graeme Bell, of Alexandra, said he would work alongside the two ``as long as it made sense''.

``I think lobby perhaps isn't the right word. I will work with my colleagues to see what benefits it would bring for the wider Dunstan constituency.''

The best interests of the entire Otago region were their collective responsibility, he said.

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz

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