ROSA WOODS/STUFF
Concerned local body voters and influencers: Paul Eagle (MP & former councillor), Heather Galbraith (lecturer in the Arts at Massey), Ian Cassels (Property developer), Steph Edlin (High school student), John David (owner/restaurateur, Cin Cin).
With the region's transport system in disarray, town squares struggling, and civic buildings closing down, what's there to be absolutely positive about?
Voters around the Wellington region will get the opportunity to tell their elected officials just how absolutely positive they are about their performance in September when postal ballots are sent out for local body elections.
"Absolutely Positively Wellington" was designed to make Wellingtonians feel good about themselves but since the start of the decade Wellington city has been losing its accolades.
Rongotai MP and former Wellington Deputy Mayor Paul Eagle said Wellington lost its events crown and then, arguably, its cultural crown as arts venues started closing down.
"Post-2010 we lost ground to other parts of New Zealand and we've really struggled I think at really being able to nail our city to something to say 'this is who we are'."
To young people, developers, artists, restaurateurs and other Wellingtonians who get a vote this year it's not just those crowns that matter.
According to them it is the "failure" of the bus network, the convention centre that "was going to be the first and is now going to be the last", a Civic Square that is now a "ghost town", a cafe culture that has fallen behind Auckland's, "ignored" commercial ratepayers struggling under financial pressures, a lack of venue space for the arts, infrastructure that "should have been fixed 20 years ago", and the exodus of talented graduates "lucky" if they find a job and luckier if they find a place to live.
But it's not just the capital that faces issues, Porirua City Council is facing growth demands its small base of ratepayers will struggle to meet, and projects like the $66 million Naenae pool complex look set to overwhelm the budget of Hutt City's next council too.
ROSA WOODS/STUFF
Grant Birkinshaw, Sorcha Carr, Shane Brockelbank, and Chris Wruck.
Meanwhile, residents in Kāpiti are campaigning for rail to be extended to Otaki - something petitioners say is badly needed to provide public transport to the region.
Multi-billion dollar long-term initiatives like Let's Get Wellington Moving aren't enough for first-time voters like Steph Edlin, a Wellington high school student, who wants the city's bus network fixed first.
"As soon as I saw the plans for the new bus system I knew it was going to be a failure and if I knew that how can the people whose job it is to make it work not even see that coming?"
Property developer Ian Cassels is more up-beat about Wellington City Council's performance saying its approach to infrastructure had changed: "They're upgrading the things we need upgraded in terms of the sewers and things ... they're actually seemingly on top of it."
But others, like Professor of Fine Arts at Massey University Heather Galbraith, say the region's struggles show once-toxic ideas like a Wellington super city and public-private partnerships, need to be looked at again.
"Council can't do everything."
WE SAY
OPINION: Every city, town or region we live in has its issues and problems - alongside many things of efficiency and beauty.
The latter is how it should be. And even if they're not right now, they should feature prominently in local authorities' short- and long-term plans. We sometimes quietly appreciate them, too often take them for granted, and occasionally send a note of thanks or compliments.
It's rather different when issues and/or local body councillors or staff rile us, and modern-day reaction is an interesting phenomenon: We write letters to the editor, inundate talkback shows, and vent and rage on social media. We're angry and outraged and everyone should know about it.
The human reaction is mostly instant and publicly visible. And very often simply useless. Nothing more than letting off steam.
And here's the really interesting thing: Many of those who complain with raised voices and in CAPITAL LETTERS then don't do the one thing that could truly make a difference - vote.
The reasons for not voting are myriad, with 'it won't make a difference' featuring prominently.
Wrong! There is no doubt that the net effect of a local-body vote is far greater than ticking a box in a national election. After all, city and district councils rule on and manage the things that really matter to us, day in, day out: Rates, libraries, local parking, footpaths, rubbish and recycling, cemeteries, pets and local transport, to name a few.
It's considered a win by many if the voter turnout tops 50 per cent in local-body elections. Really?
Let's change that. Let's stop being armchair critics too lazy to get out of our armchairs to vote.
True democracy is simple when everybody - or at least the vast majority - have their say at the ballot box.
And exercising that right in October makes being a critic credible - rather than being vocal without voting.
