The Draft 30 year strategic plan for the future transport needs of Christchurch is out. The ‘draft’ plan is trying to outline some options for Christchurch to have a transport system that works for the benefit of the people and the environment. By its very nature it needs to look forward over the next 30 years.
Playing politics is undermining an agreed process for consultation that both Phil Mauger and Aaron Keown have both been part of. The plan has been in the works for about two years, overseen by eight City Councillors including Mauger and Keown. It is deeply worrying that Phil Mauger had been to just three of the working group’s nine meetings and has stated that it would have been pointless to attend the meetings because decisions had already been made. “You sit there and go, ‘well there’s no point saying I don’t agree with this’ because you’d be overridden.” The point of being at the meetings is to shape and influence what finally goes into the plan.
This is the type of noise making that undermines trust and confidence in the Council and gets in the way of the community being able to shape “its city”. This is NOT how good decisions based on the best interests of the city are made.
We have to stop playing divisive politics and make sure that there is an open and engaged process for the community to have their input into the future transport options for our city. What has been released is a “draft” and it is important that many options are explored. The purpose of a consultation process is to provide the opportunity for both mine and the community’s concerns to be heard.
I look forward to hearing what our community has to say on the plan – and I look forward to working with a Council table committed to good and robust processes that will put in place a transport plan focused on the future needs of our growing city.