The difference between central and local government - Mayor Vince Cocurullo

Water reforms, fluoridation, homelessness and Māori wards are things the mayor receives correspondence about weekly, and which the council has no control over. Photo / 123 rf

Vince Cocurullo is the mayor of Whangārei

OPINION

I often get asked ‘why aren’t you fixing the Brynderwyns?’, ‘what’s happening with the Brynderwyns?’ Or ‘when will the Brynderwyns be open?’ I then explain that the Brynderwyns are a state highway and are therefore a central government project (still very important to Northland).

I’ve also heard people say things like ‘Council is stopping me from building my sleepout in my garage’ – I explain that council is just enforcing the building code, which sits with central government. It’s important to understand who controls what rules, and who is then required to enforce them.

Water reforms, fluoridation, homelessness, Māori wards – these are all hot topics, which I receive correspondence about weekly, and which the council has no control over.

That’s not to say we don’t care. Our council has advocated to central government about changing the water reforms and having local control over fluoridation and Māori wards decisions.

We are also part of a collaborative working group alongside key central government agencies to discuss the issue of homelessness in our region. While these decisions fall outside of our remit, that doesn’t mean we’re not advocating for Northland.

As a local council, we enforce central government policies and procedures. Our core business is to look after local infrastructure, such as the pipes in the ground, the infrastructure that we all use (except for the state highways), the footpaths, parks and carparks, always enabling and advocating for sustainable growth of our district.

With the recent Budget announcements, it’s natural to look for what will benefit Northlanders.

This Budget is not fancy, it’s a “no-frills” Budget. There have been some who have advocated for GST to be handed back to councils, which makes me wonder who then will pay for our police, Fire Service, state highways, hospitals, schools?

If this comes to council, does that mean we will have to start paying for those services too? Funds are limited, and councils can only spend money on core services and projects to benefit our district. While we’re all in this together, central government and local councils have very specific roles to play, and very different responsibilities.

One of the key responsibilities of our council is to connect our communities. The Puanga Matariki Festival in June is a perfect opportunity, and I’ve been busy visiting different events happening across Whangārei.

From exhibition openings and art installations to the vibrant Latin American Festival, it’s all here, and it’s already proving to be a very successful month of celebrations. Our local restaurants are working on making Puanga Matariki a great time to celebrate, by having Puanga on a Plate. You do need to book in advance (as I found out one evening) or you might miss out on tasting one of these special dishes.

I’m always very impressed with the talent and ability of our community. Our community spirit in Northland is strong, as is our collective voice when advocating to central government, and change can only happen when we all work together.