Community consultation, conversations and questions

Many of you will have seen that my fellow Cromwell Community Board (CCB) member Robin Dicey posed some questions for our community in The Bulletin last week.  Like all of us on the CCB Robin is looking for ways to engage and connect with the community.  We all want to be doing the best for those that we represent and to be making decisions that reflect what the residents and ratepayers of Cromwell actually want to see in our great wee town.  So, well done to Robin for trying to get the conversation going on a range of issues.  I've popped an image of Robin's questions below - you can also find them on page 12 of The Bulletin dated 12 January 2017.  Robin has included his contact details for anyone interested in contributing to the discussion.  I would be very happy to be contacted too - anna.harrison@codc.govt.nz or via my Facebook page Anna Harrison Cromwell Community Board.

One of the questions Robin asks is in regard to the level of community consultation undertaken by the CCB and the CODC.  I think this is a really tricky one - there is a high level of apathy about what local government is up to.  I know I am guilty of ignoring surveys, calls for submissions and public meetings about things unless they are likely to have a direct and negative impact on my life.  It is often after a decision has been made or a change actioned that people realise it has happened and react to it - in both positive and negative ways.  So, how do we improve how we connect with the people that our decisions affect?  I'm sure this is a question that the CODC team who work hard to connect with our community would love to have answered - so please feel free to provide your suggestions about how this could be improved.

The other bullet point that I wanted to add my thoughts to was the one in regard to the annual promotions grants awarded by the CCB.  The point raised by Robin sounds a wee bit like we have businesses approaching us to request funding to promote events that they are running.  The promotions grants are a contestable fund that community groups apply for to promote events that are happening in Cromwell - to our own community and to a wider audience to attract visitors to our district and to promote Cromwell as a great place to live, work, play and visit.

The Trashion Show an event supported by a Community Board promotions grant

The CCB awarded grants to the Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group - who promote a wide range of events and activities in Cromwell, The Community Arts Council for their events - The Trashion Show, Light up Cromwell, Chamber Music Series and Across the Bridge in Bannockburn, and to the Central Otago Districts Arts Trust - to support the reprinting of their Arts trail brochure.  I have a friend who was recently elected to the Hamilton City Council.  One of his campaign platforms was promoting Hamilton to Hamiltonians - learning to love your own town and find value in the events, activities and attractions in your local area as a way of building a strong and vibrant community.  I think the same applies in Cromwell.  Cromwell residents can be pretty hard on the town and speak about it in derogatory terms much of the time.  Our community comes together over events like the fireworks and we all find out that this is a great place to be.

On another matter altogether - I was contacted by the media yesterday to ask about the CCB's recent decision not to accept any tender for the refurbishment of the Cromwell Memorial Hall.  There have been a couple of recent posts on Facebook - one from the Central Otago District Council CODC facebook post that gives three fast facts about the hall.  The other from a community member, who has started a campaign to get the CCB to reconsider the position taken at the last meeting.  I suspect this Facebook activity is why the media has decided to take an interest.

Recent Facebook post by CODC about the Cromwell Memorial Hall

I know that among some in the community there is some frustration about the lack of action on the part of the CCB.  Others are glad that there has been a halt to proceedings while more affordable solutions are sought.  I know that many of the people I spoke to or who took the time to read my blog and make comment in the lead up to the last CCB meeting wanted to see the refurbishment go ahead - that the process had been long enough and it was time to take action.  I'm not sure what will be reported from what I said on the phone - or if it will in fact reflect what I said.  The task for us now is to find a way to move forward so that the hall is earthquake strengthened and that any paired down refurbishment provides us with a facility suitable for use by community groups and for events.  There will be more community consultation from the CODC.  The trick will be getting people to engage with it so that we have a balance of all the different view points in our community to support our decision making going forward.