May 19, 2008
The HB Regional Council has set in motion a commendable quest for strategic vision.
The public portion of this process kicked off last Thursday, with a challenging presentation by journalist and author Rod Oram (Reinventing Paradise) to a large audience of local opinion leaders.
The crux of his message was: Everything we can do in New Zealand, [...]
May 19, 2008
Scores of hopeful pilgrims flocked to Hastings over the weekend after alleged healing-powers on Percival Road were made public last week.
Though the site of the proposed Regional Sports’ Park has yet to have its first sod turned, talk of its salubrious qualities sparked a 5-kilometre long procession that began at the base of Te Mata [...]
May 14, 2008
Transparency builds credibility. Defuses misunderstanding and distrust.
“Pretend” consultation does the reverse.
Mayor Yule is pretending to consult the public on the proposed regional sports park. When in fact he made up his mind over a year ago … the day he proposed that Kelt Capital, the project’s instigator, also “manage” the enterprise, skipping the normal tender [...]
May 13, 2008
At the sports park show last night at the Opera House, Sam Kelt and Mayor Yule did a fine job of parrying skeptical thrusts from the audience. And enough sporties were present — suitably grateful for the baubles the sports complex promises — to make the evening’s exchange pretty much a draw.
A few observations …
1. [...]
May 11, 2008
Monday the Hastings Council will conduct a public briefing on the proposed “regional” sports park. Make no mistake, this will not be a consultation … it will be a sales pitch.
Just as the mailing received by every Hastings District resident last week is not a discussion of alternatives and pros and cons, but rather a [...]
May 8, 2008
Just came back from my umpteenth witnessing of various Councils’ Annual Plan (i.e., budget) consultations.
Usually these have been quite informative for the tiny handful of ratepayers who show up. Unfortunately, the Councillor/staff to citizen ratio generally has been 1:1 or worse!
While the meetings are useful, with the Council folks being forthcoming in the informal discussions, [...]
May 8, 2008
Hill Country Corporation today declared ‘Crocs’ the official shoe of the proposed 1000-house village (provisionally titled “Obeacia”) at Ocean Beach.
Company spokesperson Phil Hocquard said the casual croc mirrored the Kiwi bach ethos, and likened the promotion to the successful 1995 America’s Cup ‘Red Socks’ campaign. “We think people that wear the shoes are Obeacian at [...]
- Philip M Ward on Sack the Hearings Committee
- David Bosley on Sack the Hearings Committee
- Alan Dick on Sack the Hearings Committee
- Alan Dick on Sack the Hearings Committee
- Dean Hyde (Whanganui) on Sack the Hearings Committee
- Bruce Bisset on Sack the Hearings Committee
- Pat Magil on More on Magic 150 Words
- Honoria Ropiha on The Magic 150 Words
- Jacoby Poulain on More on Magic 150 Words
- Anne Wilson-Hunt on More on Magic 150 Words
