Napier City Councillors have done a flip-flop on an earlier decision and will now consider offering senior citizen discounts at more council facilities.
Ahead of yesterday's change of heart, one councillor suggested not giving discounts to Gold Card holders might encourage Napier pensioners to support amalgamation.
At a meeting of the council's city development committee three weeks ago, councillors voted to ask staff to draw up a list of potential discounts for community services card holders at council-owned facilities such as the Napier Aquatic Centre, the National Aquarium and Par 2 Mini Golf.
Councillor Maxine Boag, who is also secretary of Napier and Districts Grey Power, was a lone voice at that meeting when she called for the discounts to apply to those over 65 as well.
But at yesterday's full monthly council meeting, and following informal discussions with members of the public in the ensuing weeks, councillors voted unanimously to ask staff to include possible pensioner discounts in the list they were drawing up.
Deputy Mayor Faye White said while the council's 11-1 vote at the committee meeting had been based on an "ability to pay" philosophy, she had changed her view after deciding the council had failed to realise the "goodwill" its decision should be based on.
"There appears to be a feeling in our community that our senior citizens should perhaps receive benefits for having worked all their lives and that they now deserve a $1.50 or $1 concession when they go to one of our pools," Mrs White said.
"This is a bit tongue and cheek but they might vote for amalgamation based on the fact that they would get $1.50 off at Frimley Pool [in Hastings] even though they pay $300 more in rates over in Hastings."
Napier Mayor Bill Dalton said while on one hand there was an argument that seniors should be recognised for the their long contribution to society, "the other side of that argument is why should people who may be senior citizens but are very comfortably off get a concession and some mother with a couple of children who may not be as well off get no concession? That's the arguments and that's what we've got to balance out."
Councillor Keith Price said the report from staff listing possible discounts would include the financial impact of adding new subsidies. The discounts could potentially result in a revenue gain for the council if more people were encouraged to visit its facilities, he said.
Councillor Graeme Taylor said getting details of the economic impact of the move was important.
"We have a situation in Napier where we have 23,000 people over the age of 65 now and in the next 10 to 15 years that's going to go to 36,000," he said.
Mr Price said the change of heart highlighted the strength of the council's "double debating" system under which committee decisions can be reviewed and amended at a subsequent full council meeting.
"It was good to put our feelers out and get the feedback that we have," he said.