Waikato District Mayor Aksel Bech is disappointed by central government delaying decisions on Head Start proposals until after the coming general election, in their announcement this morning.
“We worked hard to an impossible timeline — but never-the-less managed to put forward our proposal that we believe would see benefits to our communities, only to see that put in the ‘hurry up and wait’ file for now, with an uncertain timeline from here.”
Head Start saw a condensed period of targeted engagement with communities in the district from May, and the feedback from them, helped shape the proposal which follows the natural pathway of the Waikato River from Taupō to Port Waikato, comprising 5 councils. In early August both Hamilton City and Taupō District Council voted the proposal down, Waipā, South Waikato and Waikato District Council voted in favour and in meeting central government’s eligibility criteria, the proposal was delivered.
Mayor Aksel recognises the incredible amount of work and effort from Council staff that went into bringing a proposal together in an incredibly tight timeframe. “We are proud of the work we have done as a council and the work we have done with our partner councils, and we know that this came at a cost in being pulled away from our core work delivering for the communities in our district. Equally communities got involved with 36 in-person events supported by our various on-line and social media platforms – a significant engagement in a topic that really matters, as we reshape how councils work in service of our towns, villages, rural and coastal communities.”
There is frustration that the proposal has gone nowhere, yet, but also opportunity. “We invested not only a lot of time in meeting the proposal deadline, but now at least there is opportunity to work to more sensible timelines and in a collaborative way. The importance of protecting local voice was identified early on, along with meaningful delegation for communities themselves making local decisions where they can — this work should continue at pace, so we are further advanced when government comes back to the table.”
“I have been adamant from the outset that Council hold the pen and show leadership on behalf of communities. We wanted to do what is in the best interests of the district first and foremost, and we still do. This process should ultimately deliver a good outcome for the region as a whole.”
“In time we will learn what the decision makers in central government want, and hope that the extra time they have afforded themselves brings about some additional supporting guardrails and principles around how we proceed. This delay is a pit stop. We return our focus to the core, day-to-day operations of Council.”
With early engagement in the district’s Long Term Plan well underway, Mayor Aksel is philosophical. “We believe we put our best proposal forward. For now, we continue to connect with our communities and hear what matters most to them in developing our Long Term Plan. We will continue to talk with, and work alongside, our neighbouring councils. What is important is that we did our best and prioritised the voices of our communities.” he said.
Mayor Aksel remains thankful for the valuable insights shared by the district’s many communities. “Our people showed up and shared what matters most to them. We know that infrastructure and rates affordability are top of mind, we know that preserving local voice has been important in this journey. We will await the outcome of the General Election, and the impact that will have on shaping the future of local government.”
