Rodney sacking tells local bodies: behave or else

By WAYNE THOMPSON

The sacking of the Rodney District Council was yesterday called a stern warning to all councils who get into political strife.

Local government expert Professor Graham Bush said most local authorities had never considered that they could be "biffed out" before the Government replaced the council with a commissioner on Monday.

"But now the Government has broken the mould. When other councils get into serious political strife that threatens their work, they will remember what happened to Rodney."

Professor Bush said local bodies were not laws unto themselves and were a subordinate part of the nation's government structure. No Government could waive its right to intervene if a local body failed to carry out its statutory duties.

Professor Bush approved of the way the Minister of Local Government, Sandra Lee, had handled the issue, which had no modern precedent.

She had given Rodney a nice, clean break by arranging for the commissioner, Grant Kirby, to start work the day after she sacked the dysfunctional council.

Mr Kirby, who lives on a lifestyle block at Kaukapakapa, in Rodney District, had his first briefing session with senior council staff yesterday afternoon.

A management consultant since 1993, he has been a senior Auckland City Council executive and is now part-time manager of the Museum of Transport and Technology.

Being a Rodney resident for three years helped him to understand the issues, he said.

Professor Bush said the minister had been astute and sensitive towards local democracy by saying the commissioner was a holding measure until fresh elections by next March at the latest.

The election gave former councillors the opportunity to convince voters they were unfortunate victims of the need to dismiss the council.

Four out of 12 former councillors said yesterday they would stand at the next elections, which carry through to October 2004.

The former mayor, Doug Armstrong, and long-serving councillor Jill Jeffs are doubtful starters. Arnold Gosling, who was acting mayor, David Steele and John Wynyard confirmed they were seeking re-election.

Former councillor Ross Meurant has sold his property in the district. His work as an investment adviser, and as a part-time policy adviser to New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, takes him out of the district.

But he said yesterday that although he had not intended serving more than one term, he was considering standing against Murray Sampson in Wainui Ward.

Mr Sampson said he would seek re-election and was considering standing for mayor. "You have to have someone with gumption to stand up against the likes of Ross Meurant."

Former councillors Gaye Harding, Elizabeth Foster, Christine Rose and Grahame Powell said they were still considering fresh bids.