Issue #1030

by Samuel “Q” Belk, Councillor QLDC

I’m “Q” Belk, the newly elected Councillor for the Arrowtown-Kawarau Ward. We moved to Gibbston thirty years ago, we farm sheep and beef, manage a vineyard and “The Church” tasting room.

Why did I run? The late John MacDonald was our QLDC councillor and mentor in Gibbston. We asked why he’d run for Council. “I got tired of complaining about the Council, I figured I’d join to see if I was wrong and if I could ‘fix’ anything”. My own list of complaints include Fast Track, rates, sewerage, rates, roading/bridges/traffic, rates, consenting, rates, transparency… oh, and rates. I ran for Council and, improbably, was elected, proving my neighbours have a sense of humour. I have “discovered” a few things in my one month as a Councillor; call them “epiphanies”

1 - All of the issues are complex and have a “backstory”. A simple and ‘obvious’ solution is often dead wrong.

2 - There is a huge amount of thoughtful planning: 1, 3, 10 year plans (Proposed District Plan and Long-Term Plan). “Fast Track” derails them. Imagine the QLDC employee who’d spent a year on the PDP, a few years on the LTP. Central Government says “Ignore that, this developer has just bought some bare land (with no infrastructure, not even roading or water) and has a proposal to build thousands of houses; three commissioners will shortly rule on this, get it sorted, we need it for ‘growth!’”

3 - Council staff **DO*** have strong personal opinions, they are not automatons, They care deeply about the region, the environment, well-being, spending, et cetera. Many are quite idealistic and outspoken. But they have to follow priorities and processes set by the legal framework, the Council and Central Government… which change, even flip-flop, every three years.

4 - Councillors work hard. Everyone is idealistic (not about the same things) to the point of being obsessive. Most have other professions which they neglect or juggle with Council: an accounting firm, a legal firm, a hospitality venue, event management, a farm, tourism, not to mention family. The Council “salary” is really a subsidy for what is given up in their personal and professional lives. Nevertheless, they worry about Council issues, even in their “off time”.

5 - Rates: there’s a push to freeze or reduce rates. Okayyy… and what shall we give up? Clean tap water, useable roads, toilets that flush (try London), trash pickup, libraries, pools, sports fields, reserves, public toilets, the stuff we take for granted? In five years the CPI is up 25%… BUT… asphalt is up 57%, cement up 70%, and steel up 67%. This is “Council inflation”, the stuff Council buys. No wonder rates are up.

I still passionately want to ‘fix’ sewerage, infrastructure, rates… but I appreciate that each issue is complex.

Winston Churchill once said “Democracy is the worst form of government… except for all the others”. We should remember that. Watch this space, more to follow from fellow Councillors.