Brian Rudman: Vibrancy out of control in the vision thing

Having shaken and sucked and battered every last breath of life out of the once cheerful adjective "vibrant", could Auckland bureaucrats and their political mouthpieces please leave it to rest in peace.

The abuse is so out of control that Auckland regional councillor and chamber of commerce chief executive Michael Barnett seemingly saw nothing untoward in peppering his vision of Auckland's economic growth, in a contributed Herald article last week, with four repetitions in quick succession. It was as though he couldn't use city without throwing a vibrant in for good measure. And he's not alone.

Search Auckland City's website and up popped 380 references. Waitakere City had 218, then came North Shore's 113 and Manukau's 74.

So far, the ARC - Mr Barnett excepted - is resisting the trend with just 12 hits. And two of those are horticultural in nature, one referring to the "vibrant colour" of the Botanic Garden's salvias, the other to its "exotic and vibrant" South African plant collection.

But out of the garden and back in the bureaucratic vision factories, it's as though no document is complete without the V word. It litters reports and speech notes like an out of control comma.

For example, new Auckland city chief bureaucrat David Rankin proudly added it to the title of his list of objectives as chief executive, entitling it "First City of the Pacific: Building a sophisticated, growing and vibrant international city with a soul".

Mayor Dick Hubbard, in recently launching the planned $90 million upgrade of the city art galley, said it "will cement Auckland's place as a vibrant cultural destination ... "

It pops up in the CBD liquor policy which says operating hours must "be consistent with Auckland's strategic vision of a vibrant and dynamic 24/7 city", and in the CBD crime policy which aims to make the city "a place that is liveable, vibrant and safe".

And not to forget last year's "CBD into the future" vision, which talks of consolidating Auckland's "international reputation as one of the world's most vibrant and dynamic business and cultural centres", or the "How Will Auckland Grow" vision ( I jest not) which dreams of "a quality urban city prospering as a vibrant leading-edge city with heart and soul". Then there's the "urban development vision" which sees "a quality urban city with vibrant local communities and a people-focused revitalised city centre".

And so the babble goes on.

Away in the outlands it's no better. The website for Manukau City greets you with "Young, vibrant and colourful, that's Manukau City ... "

Further south, Papatoetoe has a revitalisation plan to clean up the town centre, including notorious Hunters Corner, where the teen prostitutes lurk, with a plan "to reinforce the perception of Papatoetoe as a vibrant and exciting place to be". Ah yes.

North Shorites, we're told, want an economy that "is visionary, vibrant and sustainable" while out West, Waitakere is into "safe, vibrant streets" and "vibrant town centres" along with "a vibrant mix of retail and employment activities" and "vibrant" Pacific dancers.

We also learn that Waitakere's "Bohemian image has been replaced by that of a strong and vibrant arts population." Now it might be my age, but I'm quite drawn to the hint of a Bohemian image - except that in Waitakere's case, Dalmatian would be more correct. Except, that is, if you take a wrong turning and fetch up in Puhoi where the descendants of real Bohemians live happy, and no doubt vibrant, lives.

As it turns out, vibrant is not such a bad word to use of towns and cities built atop an active volcanic field. It comes from the Latin word "to shake to and fro", and has come to mean, energetic, vibrating rapidly, strong or resonant (of sound). But thanks to the bureaucrats, this word has become so shaken it no longer has any meaning, or any life left in it.

I was going to advise the local authorities to follow the Wellington regional council's example where I found only one use of vibrant, and that relating to the colour of the unwanted scotch thistle flower. But not being able to leave well alone I checked Wellington city council's website as well, to discover that with 354 occurrences, it's nudging Auckland City for worst offender.

They should all give it a rest.