We must consult
Dear Rachel Stewart, thank you for your letter c/o NZME (Chronicle, May 3).
I note that you've chosen a subject already topical and well covered by media. That being said, let's address why we are consulting with our communities about the proposal to change the region's and council's name.
Recently Horizons Regional Council's elected members voted in favour of presenting an application to the New Zealand Geographical Board to change the name of the region to Manawatū-Whanganui.
In discussions with the board we were advised that consulting with our community was part of the official process.
To meet this requirement, we included the region's name change in our 2018-28 long-term plan consultation.
This consultation includes not only proposing to add the "H" to Whanganui but also a macron over the u in Manawatū — something that affects all of our region's residents. Previous consultation and applications to the board have only been done for adding the "H" to Whanganui city and district.
You would have seen council's preferred option is to change the name and, as a result, the regional council's name would be changed, too.
So while you argue we did not need to consult, not only is it what we are required to do, but open two-way conversations with all our stakeholders is the right thing to do. I suggest this is a foreign concept to an "opinion" writer who also blocks those on Twitter who disagree with her or have an opposing view.
I assure you this consultation is not an attempt to hurt iwi, of which we have 20 in our region — all of whom received notification of our intention prior to the consultation period, and many who have discussed with us in person since.
This process is part of our proposed 2018-28 long-term plan consultation, and is not the only item we have been seeking our communities' feedback on. In fact, contrary to your suggestion that the name change is a "distraction from working on the most important issue facing this country's economic and environmental stability — water", our consultation document dedicated an entire section on freshwater management.
BRUCE GORDON
Chairman, Horizons Regional Council
A few facts
Having read two articles contributed by Rachel Stewart and Steve Baron in last Thursday's Chronicle, both critical of Horizons Regional Council and — in Rachel Stewart's tirade — branding councillors as having wee minds and biased, a few things need pointing out.
First, those on council are democratically elected by all ratepayers, with the urban voters far outnumbering the rural say.
Secondly, it was the Labour government that demolished the system of county and town councils and introduced our regional and district system for better or worse.
Thirdly, if Rachel Stewart wants to castigate Horizons for leaving the "H" out, why is she writing for a paper doing the same? I hasten to add I see no reason to change a long-established name just because everyone else has after decades using no "H".
As for the state of our rivers, water quality is improving year by year.
I noted returning one hot Saturday from Napier back to Marton last December, there were people swimming in every river we crossed, including several in our regional catchment.
With the scorching heat of the early summer, this would have occurred over many weeks and I have yet to hear of any ill-health reports from such activities.
Perhaps Steve Baron is right — dump Horizons and let Whanganui go it alone and pay for it's own problems. Wasn't that former mayor Michael Laws's idea?
PHILSON SHERRIFF
Marton
Good on you
A thank-you note may sound condescending: I can only say, far from it.
Good to see the paper championing the most vulnerable in our community with the article (Chronicle; May 5) on SUDI (sudden unexpected death in infancy).
F R HALPIN
Gonville