State control of rebuild scary, says mayor

Bob Parker. Photo / Simon Baker

Tensions between the Christchurch City Council and the Government over the earthquake recovery have continued, with mayor Bob Parker calling the scope of state intervention in his city scary.

The creation of the Government's Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) to help Christchurch bounce back from the devastating quakes over the past 18 months has created friction over where responsibility lies.

Speaking yesterday at the opening of the Emergency Management Conference in Wellington, Mr Parker said Cera "scares me a bit because it's so comprehensive".

He later told the Herald: "It's really important that we as a community are left with the feeling that we are in control of our destiny. Not a destiny that is being created for us by another bureaucracy."

There has also been personal friction between leaders, with Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee recently apologising after calling Mr Parker a "clown".

The remark, reported in a Christchurch newspaper, was in response to a statement by the mayor that the Government could force the city to increase rates or sell assets to fund the earthquake recovery, Mr Brownlee said.

The minister also cited his frustrations at the ongoing turmoil within the dysfunctional city council - which is now being supervisedby a Crown observer as it tries to overcome internal divisions.

Mr Parker told the Herald there were questions around whether the Cera model - with a "diluted" council role - was the best way to go.

"What I'm suggesting is maybe another model which would retain a greater sense of local control. So that it's in the hands more of the people of the city, rather than perhaps what might be seen as a Wellington bureaucracy located in the city."

Staff crossover between Cera and the city council was creating confusion at times, Mr Parker said.

Rather than Cera, the city council could have additional resources to deal with the scope of disasters like the quakes, he suggested.

Mr Brownlee declined to comment yesterday on Mr Parker's latest remarks.