1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: The government is cracking down on councils, forcing them to 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: stick to their core business. It's scrapping the four well 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: being provisions brought in by the last MOB, Social, Economic, 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: environmental and cultural. The last MOB added these in twenty nineteen. 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: The law change also means councils must report regularly on 6 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 1: their finances and reveal how much they're spending on consultants 7 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:27,159 Speaker 1: and contractors, wrote Rotorua mayor Tania tapsul Is joining me 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: now good morning to you, Tania. 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 2: Good morning. 10 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: What does core business mean for you? 11 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 2: Look, this is quite interesting actually because it's mostly focused 12 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 2: on infrastructure, but overall it's about making sure that our 13 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: districts are certainly running well, but also that our community 14 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 2: is able to access services and feel happy about excellence 15 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,279 Speaker 2: in customer service. I suppose when they do contact council and. 16 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 1: Who's responsible for the culture of a city, because if 17 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: they're scrapping their cultural provision, are they saying it's not 18 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: the council's job to actually promote the culture of a 19 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: city and every city has a culture. 20 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 2: Well, actually got to give it to this government though, 21 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 2: because when the previous one introduced the four wellbeings, a 22 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 2: lot of the councils said, well, okay, then are we 23 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 2: going to get more funding to do that please? And 24 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 2: of course the answer was no, and so all of 25 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: a sudden, councils were taskedworth also having to look after 26 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: the social well beings. Now that was quite difficult for 27 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: us because when we're trying to run a city keep 28 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 2: the rates as low as possible, but we also have 29 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 2: to drive not only culture but also social wellbeing. We 30 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 2: kind of said, hm, hang on them. In a government, 31 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 2: isn't it your job? So we are very much looking 32 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 2: forward to the removal of the four well beings, But 33 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 2: there is a little bit of hesitancy, I must admit 34 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: of councils across the country where we say, hmm, okay, 35 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 2: so you're going to tell us to focus on core business. 36 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: But does that mean that you will pick up the 37 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 2: bill and also the work if we do have gaps 38 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 2: that are left for our community. 39 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: Yes. How do you feel about the government telling you 40 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: what to do? I mean, you are elected based on 41 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: your platforms. You go in there telling the people that 42 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: have elected you what you're going to do. But here's 43 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: the government saying, now, this is what you're going to do. 44 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: How do you feel about that. 45 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: This has always been a tricky one for us, of course, 46 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 2: and we saw that when we had the Three Waters 47 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 2: debate now called Local Waters down Well, where our community said, actually, hey, 48 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 2: we want to make sure that we maintain local decision making. 49 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 2: We also saw it when there's the polytechs, the TWU 50 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 2: stories got moved across the country and the local DHB 51 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 2: has got scrapped, and of course we went to an 52 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 2: amalgamated system. So this will be quite interesting because we've 53 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 2: seen that when government does tell councils what to do, 54 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: it doesn't really work very well. So we're hoping, at least, 55 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: and i'll tell you what we're hoping, at least when 56 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 2: they talk about rates capping, they also look at how 57 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 2: much cost the government is actually putting on local councils. 58 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 2: Because to tell you what half of our rates increases 59 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 2: across the country, certainly in my region it's about eight 60 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: point seven percent on average. A half of that rates 61 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 2: increases actually from government reforms and how much money we 62 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: have to spend to meet those targets. 63 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: So you're going to have to spend a bit more 64 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 1: as well, because you've got to report regularly on your finances, 65 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: and you've got to reveal everything that you're spending. So 66 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: there's a whole lot of man hours and person hours 67 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: and that as well. Tell you Tapsle, you spoke so fantastically, 68 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: you always do, and I thank you for your time today. 69 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 70 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or 71 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.