Comments on: Save Auckland’s community assets

By: My bill goes down, and Rodney Hide goes off « Red Alert

My bill goes down, and Rodney Hide goes off « Red Alert — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:51:23 +0000

[...] member’s bill went down tonight. It was expected given National and ACT’s declared intention to block vote [...]

By: Max Moss

Max Moss — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:24:03 +0000

How an we publicly demonstrate support for your bill?

Petitions? Demonstrations? Media coverage?

Tell us what to do.

By: Roger Bryant

Roger Bryant — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:48:24 +0000

The following quote is from the BBC Radio 4 Programmes – The Reith Lectures – Episode 4 – A New Politics of the Common Good, which I find very relevant in this case:
“This trend has two bad effects: one fiscal, the other civic. First, public services deteriorate as those who no longer use them become less willing to support them with their taxes. Second, public institutions such as schools, parks, playgrounds and community centres cease to be places where citizens from different walks of life encounter one another. Institutions that once gathered people together and served as informal schools of civic virtue have become few and far between. The hollowing out of the public realm makes it difficult to cultivate the sense of community that democratic citizenship requires.”
Read the transcript of the whole broadcast for another perspective.

By: Phil Twyford

Phil Twyford — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:10:26 +0000

TopCat – The Bill specifies parks (as well as libraries and swimming pools) among the assets that cannot be sold without a referendum….unless of course a sale takes place in the course of normal portfolio management. So that would cover your scenario of sports clubs having the land sold out from under them. But perhaps it could be more comprehensive and include any recreational or community facilities?

By: TopCat

TopCat — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:30:18 +0000

Phil,
There is nothing to stop the new Auckland Council selling off land and sportsfields to boost their coffers. Individuals sporting clubs all lease the land for virtually no rent. In Waitakere, for example, we have 15-20 soccer clubs all of whom have there clubrooms on council land. The regional football association has said it wants to reduce the number of clubs. The easiest way to do this is to get the council to sell off the land they use- It would be a very easy way for the council to make money quickly to sell for housing. All over Auckland groups like pony clubs, aeronautical clubs, table tennis clubs, scout groups etc are in the same boat. Ask the Auckland Trampolining Association how easy it is to find somewhere to operate.

By: Phil Twyford

Phil Twyford — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:53:03 +0000

l.b and TopCat – Not sure I follow your argument. My bill tries to stop the new super city selling off economic assets. How would you want to try and protect community groups, and from what?

Jo Elvidge – Hope to have a campaign website up and running in the next couple of days with actions you can take to support the Bill. Also check out http://www.cc4a.net.nz/

to everyone, thanks for all the good wishes and suggestions…keep it coming

By: TopCat

TopCat — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:24:37 +0000

I.b. is right. There are thousands of clubs and groups who use council lands and facilities (halls, fields, sporting facilities, paddocks). I would like to see some protection for them under legislation.

By: Dave Rutherford

Dave Rutherford — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:00:45 +0000

More failed ideology from Act.I smell Uncle Roger playing Jim Henson to Rodney’s Miss Piggy, with an “invisible hand” very firmly inserted.Perhaps we could seek an opinion on this from Max Bradford?He could tell us what we should do when there is nothing left to sell?
Hope that we were one of the parasites who profited from the sales and can therefore still afford to live in New Zealand, or simply head to the workhouse with the rest of the working poor?
On ya Phil, it’s well past time that someone picked up the cudgels .

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:10:32 +0000

Incredibly insightful and timely. I live in California and at present, we are facing bankruptcy. The Governor has been threatening closure of state properties (including our extensive State Parks System) and sales of valued public land holdings. His declared intention is balancing a 24 billion dollar budget imbalance.
I agree that generations have bought and paid for these treasures, and I resent Arnold’s attempts to bandage Congressional oversight with these measures. The State’s financial problems go MUCH deeper than one year’s imbalance. He is proposing NOTHING to improve the system, just some patchwork juggling.
Hang in there Phil. We, the people, need champions!

By: Myself

Myself — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:44:15 +0000

Congratulations.

Rodney Hide has said publicly (on Maori TV) that he would sell Watercare if the decision was up to him. Debate over your Bill will force him and his National Party mates to make their true veiws known in a very public arena.