From the House: Stuart Nash on advocating for ways to make our community safer

MP for Napier Stuart Nash. Photo / NZME

What exactly is the job description for a Member of Parliament?

One description includes the idea of being the people's representative and Parliament is known as the House of Representatives after all. The former Labour leader Mike Moore used to call himself a Public Servant. I think the concept of being a regional advocate or a regional champion is also accurate.

Every week I travel from Napier to Wellington to advocate for our region and for the needs of the people who live here. Whether I am in the parliamentary debating chamber or sitting around the Cabinet table in the Beehive, I am an advocate for provincial and regional New Zealand.

I do the same when I am on home ground in Hawke's Bay. As the MP for Napier, I have always worked hard on the relationship with our local leaders.

That includes leaders like mayors and councils, the Police District Commander, the local Chamber of Commerce, iwi leaders, major employers like the District Health Board and food manufacturers, school principals, infrastructure experts from the port and airport, and many others.

Recently I put my advocacy into action by making a submission to the Napier City Council, as MP for Napier, on the council's Long Term Plan for the period 2021 to 2031. Across three broad areas I made the argument for ways we could improve the quality of life in Hawke's Bay, with some constructive ideas for change.

My submission advocated for easy and achievable ways the Napier City Council could improve community safety; enhance our open places and spaces; and play its part in nationwide efforts to accelerate our economic recovery.

For example, on the question of safety and law and order. There is a definite role for council in returning Clive Square gardens and the cenotaph lawn to a place where families can once again visit without feeling intimidated or threatened by anti-social behaviour.
Urgent repairs and maintenance are needed on the Women's Rest building which should then be leased to a good tenant with a business that contributes to the wellbeing of this part of town.

The council could also take a leaf from Hastings Council's book and trial the City Assist and ambassador scheme. It could upgrade its CCTV camera network in the inner city, and use existing laws to take a harder line on people wearing gang patches in public buildings and parks.

Anti-social and destructive behaviour happens in other parts of our region. I asked the council to use its bylaws and planning tools to return our open spaces and places into areas that we can once again be proud to celebrate as the public face of our beautiful city and district.

I urged the council to adopt tougher freedom camping bylaws to ban all vehicles from these sites unless they are self-contained. I also asked the council to develop a better strategy to deal with owners of buildings which are abandoned and dilapidated.

For economic development, there are plenty of ways the council can step up to complement government efforts to support local jobs and businesses. There needs to be a coordinated region-wide economic development strategy and an agency with the capacity to deliver for the wider Hawke's Bay. There are several councils involved, and I think this is a great opportunity for Napier City Council to take a leadership role to bring these agencies together.

Napier and this region have so many natural advantages and I will always be its number one champion in Parliament. I will also take every opportunity I can to be that local champion in our democratic organisations here at home too.

• Stuart Nash is MP for Napier