The overwhelming public support for this since then has backed my reasoning for doing it.
It has also led to some great conversations with people.
Some folk have had concerns around centralisation and the loss of community voice. This is an easy concern to address because what I am proposing will strengthen the local voice, with strong community focused representation and local autonomy, together with a more unified and simplified administration and support structure behind it — that will also be significantly cheaper to run.
It is kind of like taking the good from the pre-1990 days with strong local representation and marrying it with the lessons we have learned since on what works well and what doesn’t. I know there are still people today referring to what was lost from the county days, but there have also been some things gained. Technology, for one, has enabled us to work very differently. At times, I would challenge whether it makes life harder or easier, but nobody would argue that we are in a very different world.
I think we all have a natural aversion to change, even though the world is constantly changing around us. However, when people have a good insight into the positive effects of that change, and the nature and context of it is well understood, then I think the fear of the unknown is reduced, and we can be more willing to try something different.
I have also been wondering how many elected members would come out swinging — and whether that reluctance is more about job preservation than fear of change ... just saying.
Wishing you all a fantastic festive season — I know for some of you it is a time of extra hard work, and for others it can also be a hard time of the year. This year is just about done and dusted, and I am already prepping for a big 2025.
See you next year. — Rob Scott, Southland District Mayor
