Bay Harbour: February 02, 2022

Wednesday February 2 2022 Bay Harbour News
Lack of council
communication with
residents a concern
• From page 1
“His approach was
different to mine. He
responded to an invitation
from residents, I went
out there with council
staff and representatives
of (contractors) Fulton
Hogan.
“We were planning that
well before Phil went out
there. I had a long and
detailed meeting with staff
(on January 24). We started
planning on the day.’’
Asked if he was thought
Turner had followed his
lead Mauger said: “It does
seem a bit coincidental”
before denying he was
politicking.
“I didn’t go out of my
way to dig holes in his vote
but I thought: ‘This is what
excites me about doing
council work. You can go
out and meet people and
see how you can make
them happy or fix things.
“I’ve been told a number
of times to get my head out
of operational and start
doing governance but I
just love the operational
bits because I can see how
things can maybe be done
better.”
Mauger updated city
council staff on his return
and acknowledged the city
council’s lack of communication
with residents was a
concern.
“They haven’t been told
any plans of what’s going
on. If they were kept in
the loop a bit more . . .
someone from council
went over the day after (the
storm) and that was good
but they haven’t heard a
thing since.”
Masefield, who must
take a quad bike over a
narrow stock track on
NEWS 7
SLIPPAGE: A Goughs Bay Rd resident surveys
the damage to the community’s link to the
remainder of Banks Peninsula and beyond.
a neighbouring farm to
reach the bay, where a
vehicle is parked for shopping
excursions to Akaroa,
has long been critical of
the city council’s response.
“When this happened
everyone went on holiday,
the council shut down. The
communication has been
shocking,” she said.
But Masefield was
impressed Mauger made
the trip hours she after
sent her request via social
media.
“We were very pleased to
have a visit from a councillor
that genuinely listened
to our frustrations and was
keen to see the destruction
first-hand,” she said, confirming
she was criticising
the council in general, not
Turner specifically.
However, after Turner’s
first visit since the natural
disaster, Masefield was still
frustrated.
“He says all the right
things, as they do, but we
still haven’t got any time
line of what’s happening to
the road,” she said.
Mauger, who owns a
contracting company,
cheekily suggested he was
“half an inch away from
taking a digger over there
and doing it myself but I
know I’d get in deep s**t.”
In July 2020 he dug a
70m ditch on red zone
land to resolve long-term
flooding on Pages Rd in
the city’s eastern suburbs;
the council then spent
about $30,000 to fill in the
unauthorised trench.
Mauger cited that
exercise when dismissing
suggestions he indulged in
a points-scoring exercise
ahead of the October 8
polls.
“Roadworks, earthworks
… all that sort of thing
interests me. I’ve also got
a place over in Akaroa, a
little crib/bach. It’s always
interested me over there,”
he said, adding he will
reschedule an informal
gathering in Akaroa
cancelled due to Covid-19
restrictions.
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