
Clutha District Council Lawrence-Tuapeka ward councillor Jock Martin made the comments during last week’s community board meeting in Lawrence, in reference to a service request he had made personally on December 16.
Yesterday, he said he stood by his comments, and was not afraid to ‘‘ask the sticky questions’’ of his own council.
Cr Martin said, on December 16, he had asked for a drainage trench opposite his business in Lawrence’s Colonsay St to be cleared of gravel, in order to prevent a repeat of flooding that inundated his shearing headquarters and other businesses in January 2023.
He received notification his request had been addressed, on December 24.
‘‘But I went across the road to take a look and the best way to describe it is that an ‘attempt’ had been made. Essentially, it was, and remains today, in the same state that caused the issues two years ago. We’re in flash-flood season now, and local people are quite reasonably concerned that the council and its service providers are not providing the level of service required.’’
He said the situation was exacerbated by the recent significant increase in rates.
‘‘As a rural businessman, I hear every day from the people who live and work here. Some farmers are paying $1000 a week in rates now, and some pensioners paying 11% of their income as rates. With that comes at least an expectation of value for money, if not an increase in the level of service you’re getting. That’s simply not happening.’’
He said shortfalls in service were damaging the council’s ‘‘brand’’, and ratepayer frustration was justified.
‘‘It’s crucial for service providers to understand their role in the community and take ownership of the services they provide. This includes being responsive to service requests and being aware of community needs. Delays in response can severely damage the council’s brand and trust with ratepayers, which is happening and concerning.’’
In December, fellow councillor Kevin Barron resigned from the council, saying he was unhappy with its performance, as highlighted by residents in a council-commissioned satisfaction survey.
Cr Martin said he understood Mr Barron’s concerns, although he preferred to find ‘‘solutions’’.
‘‘I’m a solution-based person. I’ve been bringing up these issues since long-term planning last year, although there doesn’t seem to be any improvement yet.
‘‘If we keep raising the sticky questions, perhaps we’ll start to see things changing on the ground.’’