Opinion: Good luck unravelling the HDC implosion

As of Saturday morning, we don't know who our new mayors and councillors are going to be, but that changes this afternoon when results start to come in around 3pm.

We will let you know via our website www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz

It is safe to say that whoever ends up being elected in Hastings will be watched closely as to how they respond to the implosion caused by the Water Central project.

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A water reservoir with an accompanying interactive and educational facility (not a museum), it is an odd idea.

And one that the council did not want voters to know about before the election, to avoid controversy and keep their seats.

It's not unusual for councils to clear the decks of controversial decisions ahead of an election. But keeping this quiet appears to have been highly aspirational and naive.

Once the project was leaked, the council - not having much else to do - seems to have become preoccupied with a witch hunt to find the leaker, and has no qualms about spending thousands of ratepayer dollars on doing so.

To what end - is the leaker going to be placed in public stocks to have rotten fruit thrown at them?

In the latter stages of this term, the HDC degenerated into a council imploding with rumour, innuendo and infighting that seemed blissfully unaware of that voters were watching and shaking their heads.

Good luck to the new HDC council and here's hoping it applies the vigour and determination it has shown for the witch hunt for Deep Throat, to other matters that ratepayers trust them to take care of. Governing the district, for example.

There is another interesting and potentially controversial result emerging today, and that's who gets elected to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

A core group of councillors known as the Romans (a penchant for sandals?) are seeking re-election and include the former chair Rex Graham.

Several pro-horticulture councillors benefit from campaign funding - not to mention excellent spots to place their signs - from horticulturist John Bostock.

This is no secret, but it throws up valid observations about potential conflicts of interest around decisions the council makes to do with water and horticulture.

Is it a conflict for councillors, receiving campaign dollars from a horticulturist, to be pro-horticulture in a regional economy dominated by, you've guessed it, horticulture?

They will argue no. But they also need to be wary of the grey areas that can emerge and are no doubt mindful that they need to be squeaky clean when making decisions.

There are plenty of people watching from the wings ready to cry foul if those waters get too murky.

Good luck to all our candidates seeking election today and congratulations to those entering the fray for the first time.

It is a challenging role under constant public scrutiny and you are expected to operate without self interest, but with integrity and mana, for the betterment of your respective ratepayers.

It will be fascinating to see today who failed, and who has passed, that test in the eyes of voters.