By Celsias
Posted on Feb. 1, 2012. Listed in:
A very unusual thing happened in Christchurch today.
A large number of people took to the streets to demonstrate. For many of them it was their first ever demonstration, despite the fact they were 40 or 50 or 60 years old.
Residents from all over Christchurch have been infuriated by a series of decisions from the City Council .Well, at least the Mayor and CEO and sometimes a slim majority of councillors.The reappointment of Tony Marryatt didn't go down well with the Council doing so by a slim majority only.
They had told the world he was going to reapply, so no doubt many people who would have applied didn't.
Then the 14.4% payrise which meant a payrise of $68,000 at a time when most people in Christchurch have lost family, friends, a house, a business, a job, sleep and lots more, went down just as you would expect.
People were furious at the insensitivity it involved and that Councillors who supported it were so far out of touch with the community that they could even begin to think that was okay.
But for some reason, that is actually very difficult to fathom, Mayor Bob and CEO Tony seem inseparable. Bob was desperate to get Tony reappointed and Tony didn't seem to be that impartial at the time of the last local body elections around the Council either. Perhaps the pay increase was even delayed a bit so it didn't affect Bob's chances at the last election. ( speculation only, of course !)
Tony stayed on the Gold Coast during the December earthquake which knocked confidence in the city. And whether the staff could handle it or not was not the issue. Finally back at work, Tony appears on the front page of the Press still in jandals and shorts saying how much he deserves the pay rise. Oh....the pain !Then Bob and Tony announce that they have commissioned an $80,000 communications review.No tender, and don't bother to ask anyone else at the Council .
Finally Tony has stopped taking his increase ...and in doing so challenges the Council to behave. What....??? Which of these are elected ?
Finally Tony has stopped taking his increase ...and in doing so challenges the Council to behave. What....??? Which of these are elected ?
Bob and Tony still seem to be inseparable , but that will be interesting to watch.
EQC and CERA must love the fact that the Press and talkback has been full of this for weeks as it has meant some of the EQC very odd decisions, and the fact that Ansvar has pulled out of the market here leaving customers stranded has not had the exposure it needs.
Well, anyways...people today turned out to say this is not what they want. In private empty ( as a result of the earthquake/s) land right next door to the Council the street had to be closed to allow the numbers of people to assemble who wanted to be there.
And what they wanted? Tony Marryatt gone and new mid term elections for the Council.
A city changes dramatically after a disaster ...but the psyche of Christchurch is tough and resilient, and its people are certainly of no mind to stand silliness any longer.
There are serious challenges ahead of the Council . They are :
Insurance for the city's infrastructure
Contract Works Insurance for those who want to rebuild
Helping facilitate the rebuild
Getting its own rebuild under way
Allowing hugely reinvigorated communities to do the things they know they have to do
Keeping young people here
Getting a budget together when a massive chunk of your rating base has been rased...
and no doubt a few more.
