You’d be forgiven for missing it, hidden amongst talk of Destination playgrounds, Hamilton Gardens, Garden Place and a proposed rates rise; but one of the more important long term decisions our city could make has been glossed over.
Earlier this year the Hamilton City Council and Waipa district Council’s expressed preference to form a shared service to improve efficiencies in water management. However “ … no final decision can be made until public consultation has been completed and submissions considered,” Mr Bowcott says. <<Insert token democratic participation>>
Public consultation about creating a shared water management company with neighbouring councils has now ended. A grand total of 75 people made submissions. Surprising? given the state of our freshwater ways, and news of water contamination or drought in other districts. We’ve been assured our water services are A1, but does that mean we should remain complacent or is it because we don’t feel we’ll be listened to anyway?
Hamilton City Council will make a final decision on whether or not to form a Shared Waters Management Company at its Council meeting on December 12. Do you think public submissions will hold much weight?
Kelli from the Tron 
I’m a first term councillor so I’ll definitely be listening. The object of this round has been to decide on what goes out to the public for consultation which is how I’ve been making my decisions. A couple of shining examples for me are Garden Place and this new ‘Central City Park’ idea. Because they were SO radical, SO expensive and SO new I felt it totally prudent to send it out to the community. If I hadn’t, then the community wouldn’t have got to say. At the moment I don’t like the Central Park because it is terrible timing to be talking about buying and bowling buildings, and will only support Garden Place if it’s predominantly a playground, but if the public come back in love with the Park and Garden Place then I’ll support them in June.
Didn’t listen during the “Free” parking debacle that will cost ratepayers $1 million per year.