Nick Chamberlain: Seize the day and vote

Nick Chamberlain

So, finally we are down to the last few days of the referendum.

My experience is that those people who have made a decision are unlikely to change their mind, and the last thing I'm trying to do is to change people's minds.

However, despite what sounds like a very good 40-plus per cent response, there will still be many who either haven't got around to voting, don't think it will matter, have been put off by all the debate, or can't be bothered.

I guess that's the group I am writing to. The following are my personal views and not those of the organisation I lead.

The Northland District Health Board did submit a letter of support for the potential socio-economic benefits the Hundertwasser Wairau Maori Art Centre (HWMAC) could bring to Whangarei and Northland.

To me, these are obvious, and I don't want to rehash them.

However, I am writing as someone whose role is hugely impacted by poverty, apathy, and the economic performance of our region. Currently we are struggling with 7-8 per cent growth per year in Emergency Department presentations and acute admissions to Whangarei Hospital.

We have plans to expand the hospital, increase staffing and deliver the actions in our Northland Health Services Plan to maintain and improve our services, but other regions are seeing flat or negative growth, and this seems to be directly linked to the economic performance of their region.

We also cannot seem to lift our vaccination rates over 90 per cent.

Children are missing out, not because their parents have made a decision not to vaccinate - that is their right even if it is ill informed. What worries me is that many parents aren't making a decision at all. For many, this is because of the day-to-day, hand-to-mouth challenges that Northland families face, and the transience of their lives as parents search for work and children flow in and out of our region.

The most important thing is that parents care and make an active decision - it would be terrible if any of Northland's low immunisation rate is because parents just didn't get around to it or keep postponing it until later. Please make sure that HWMAC doesn't go the way of immunisation - be informed, make a decision and vote weighing up the pros and cons.

Although we play a part, social agencies and even district councils aren't going to "fix" Northland - it's going to be innovators, entrepreneurs and businesses taking a risk, putting their faith in our wonderful region.

Even if the HWMAC somehow doesn't lift economic performance, attract the conservative number of tourists that are projected, bring us a desperately needed hotel (we cannot hold large health conferences in Whangarei because of the extraordinary lack of such a facility) and lift the morale of the region, at least we will have tried, and not trying, not caring, not voting, is surely the greatest risk.

I love it here! I have lived in Whangarei for over 40 years, and although I was born a few hundred metres from where I work, I've been lucky enough to have travelled extensively.

I've seen the attraction for tourists that world-class art and specifically Hundertwasser has overseas, and am convinced this will be the reason we need for people to stop and stay in Whangarei. What an incredible opportunity.

However, if it turns out I'm wrong, at least we will have tried. And if the vote goes against HWMAC, I would like to know that at least we all cared enough to vote.

This is our opportunity to get something very different - a thriving city without any empty shops; a place where tourists stop and stay; a fascinating unique waterfront, and a city where our children and youth are inspired and have a future.