The Star: December 06, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday December 6 2018 7
Committee overhaul at council
• By Julia Evans
David East
THE WAY city councillors do
their jobs is being overhauled to
give them more time to spend in
their communities.
A report will be considered by
the city council today that proposes
a streamlining of its committees
– including removing the
strategic capability committee
altogether.
The finance
and performance
committee
could
also become a
whole council
committee and
a new chief
executive performance
and
employment
committee may be established.
There are currently 17 different
city council committees as well
as regional and joint committees.
“The mayor and council have
identified several issues associated
with the current committee structure,
which impact on the effectiveness
of the decision-making
processes,” the report said.
More than 80 per cent of
reports that go to the finance and
performance committee, also go
to the city council.
“This repetition is perceived to
ORGANISATION: The city council is overhauling its
committee structure to reduce the number of reports
councillors have to read.
be a misuse of valuable time,” the
report said.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel called
for a restructure in the Long
Term Plan.
Ms Dalziel said it was to ensure
that the $500 million capital
programme got a high level of
oversight.
“By adding new terms of
reference to the finance and performance
committee, making it
a committee of the whole council
and giving it power to act, it
will replace one of the monthly
council meetings and ensure
in-depth oversight of the core
critical projects, while providing
discipline around the rest of the
programmes.”
Ms Dalziel said a benefit would
be that all city councillors will
be involved and decisions will be
made only once.
“Rather than referred as recommendations
to the council as
is the current arrangement.”
Issues include subject overlap
between committee agendas and
confusion about which committee
should deal with issues, a
high volume of reading, finding
enough time for meetings and
providing enough city council
staff to support each committee.
There has been a 54 per cent
increase in reports over the last
four years and a “significant
increase” in resolutions.
“Committee commitments
contribute to a lack of time for
elected members to fulfil their
community representation and
liaison roles,” it said.
Residents’ associations canvassed
by The Star yesterday,
including in Northshore, the
central city and Linwood, said
they were happy with the presence
of their elected members.
But Somerfield Residents’
Association chairwoman Julie
Tobbell said it was “great idea” if
it meant they could be out more.
“It would be lovely if they had
more time and were more prevalent
in the community,” she said.
City councillor David East,
who is on the strategic capability
committee, supported the move.
He said “at times” the amount
of reading and commitments to
committee meetings had been an
issue.
Cr East also said streamlining
the finance committee was
important, as all councillors
should be involved in spending
decisions.
It comes at a time when the
strategic capability committee
approved the new city council
“no surprises” protocol for
elected members.
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
Rider airlifted
to hospital in
serious
condition
A 21-YEAR-OLD man was
airlifted to hospital in a serious
condition after falling off a bike
at the Christchurch Adventure
Park.
St John spokeswoman Ngaire
Jones said it was called to the
park about 4.15pm on Tuesday.
The man was taken to
Christchurch Hospital in a serious
condition.
A Christchurch Adventure
Park spokeswoman said yesterday
the accident happened on
Lord of the Possums trail.
The trail is an intermediate
level trail for competent mountain
bike riders.
It was the second time this
year a rescue helicopter had been
called to the park, she said.
Yesterday marked the one year
anniversary of $24 million park
reopening following the Port
Hills fires.
It was closed for 10 months after
suffering extensive damage in
fires last February, closing eight
weeks after it first opened.
The park’s chairlift tow rope
and four ziplines had to be
replaced.
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