Councils Holding the Country to Ransom

[Davo36]

No demur, there. I've planted thousands of trees of all sorts and I'm still at it. I'm worried I have a greenie addiction that means I have to stay away from plant and tree nurseries. Maybe I should see someone about it?

I'm a bit the same Perry

And happily, many people are planting trees these days. A lot of them are farmers, fencing and planting their waterways for instance.

Undoing a bit of the insanity from 100 years ago where 'breaking in the land' was the thing to do. Slash and burn.

[Perry]

How Perverse

Food truck on alternative highway forced to close doors during purple patch
24 May 2017

Karen Gonzalez has been happily serving food and coffee at the side of the road for the past two years; then came the earthquake, the customers and the Council complaint that has effectively shut down her food cart. But the one-woman food operator on State Highway 63 has an unlikely ally in the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), which may stump up the money to make her layby safer.


A NZTA spokeswoman said the agency and Marlborough Roads were looking at funding better access to the food truck. The agency was keen to do whatever it could to ensure drivers could continue to benefit from coffee and refreshments, she said.

Unusual that a gummint dept. is seeking a practical win-win outcome, while the local council is being, ahhh, shall I say, difficult?

[Wayne]

Food truck on alternative highway forced to close doors during purple patch
24 May 2017


Unusual that a gummint dept. is seeking a practical win-win outcome, while the local council is being, ahhh, shall I say, difficult?

I read the article - I don't see where it says that the council is being difficult.
There are rules and they are trying to apply them.
They said that they have been trying to work with the owner and are now waiting for NZTA input.
People complain no matter what if the rules get in the way of them and what they want to do.
Wouldn't it be great if there were no rules and people just did anything they wanted

[Perry]

Bureaucracy vs Bureaucracy

The item did not say that. I did.

As I see things, it gets back to what Peter said about councillors now only being allowed to read reports and sip tea.

The operator has applied for a Resource Consent. NZTA says they'll help, because a break for drivers is a good thing for road safety. The council says they're waiting for NZTA. Huh? What's going on, there?

What appears to be needed is a creative workaround; some outside-the-regulatory-box thinking. Such as someone from the council musing . . .

OK. Let's think about the TA's perspective on driver and road safety, here. Further, there have been no accidents in the two years the place has been operating, so let's apply a bit of common sense. We have a RC appln; we have the TA saying they want to help. So things are proceeding. Lets pull the abatement notice on the condition that it would be re-instated if the RC hasn't been granted or satisfactory progress made towards it, by such-and-such a date.

Given all the blather about H&S, that would seem like something that fits well in this situation, as well as with the old adage:

Rules are for the guidance of the wise and the obeisance of fools.

[Bobsyouruncle]

The fact they were listed is weird. Pohutukawa are common as flies and of no significance at any level. Hopefully the lower levels now have better views. They should be happy. They can always plant more.

[Shalodge]

Not so weird maybe ... Often it is about the particular tree and/or the location not the species..

[Bobsyouruncle]

I guess but when it's neither endangered nor slow growing it is strange to me.

[Wayne]

Here the council seem to be trying to give a guy a go and the locals object.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/92960148/neighbours-fail-to-push-canterbury-tailors-business-away-from-his-home

[Perry]

An interesting event, indeed. I thought this sentence was odd:

The report did note the property's shared driveway was too wide, and the owner had been notified to get a resource consent to fix it.

Too narrow I could understand; but too wide?

[Wayne]

An interesting event, indeed. I thought this sentence was odd:Too narrow I could understand; but too wide?

It is the crossing that is too wide.
Have a look at 15 Otara St Christchurch in Street view - very wide crossing.
Maximum of 6m in Christchurch

[Perry]

OK. I'll take your word for it.

[Perry]

Even fixing the problem can be a problem, it seems.

Six months later, no progress in Hamilton's red tape cull
2 June 2017

It takes red tape to cut red tape, Hamilton City Council has found. Setting up a squad to streamline dealings with council took six months of bureaucracy - and it has yet to do anything.

[Davo36]

Even fixing the problem can be a problem, it seems.

Six months later, no progress in Hamilton's red tape cull
2 June 2017

Yeah sigh. And going to cost a lot of money.

[Wayne]

Even fixing the problem can be a problem, it seems.

Six months later, no progress in Hamilton's red tape cull
2 June 2017

The rate payers are frustrated but imagine being a councillor.
You know what needs doing but have to fight for 6 months to even get the terms of reference set.
You'd have to be mad to want to get into local politics.

[Davo36]

The rate payers are frustrated but imagine being a councillor.
You know what needs doing but have to fight for 6 months to even get the terms of reference set.
You'd have to be mad to want to get into local politics.

I agree with this.

Dealing with council staff on a daily basis would test the patience of a saint.

And then imagine dealing with the nut job public.