Over the past few days Radio New Zealand has been doing great work exposing how Horizons, the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council, has been refusing to enforce its One Plan after dairy industry lobbying. This being local government, it woudl be easy to think that this was a plan cooked up by management without reference to the elected councillors - but you'd be wrong. Today's Whanganui Chronicle makes it clear that the councillors knew all about it:
But Horizon's Wanganui-based councillors held no concerns. "I knew what was going on," councillor Rod Pearce said. "I knew there was a opportunity for dairy farmers to phase down their nitrogen outlet." Mr Pearce believed there would be significant decreases in nitrogen reaching the water. "That's as far as I can go with it," he said. "I think we've got to be talking to the professionals about that.
"With all due respect to them (Fish & Game) they do tend to stir the pot from time to time. I don't mean that as any criticism of them."
Councillor David Cotton said it was practical to give farmers time to meet compliance and was happy with the council's approach. "They are going to have to meet compliance over a period of time. If you make these people go broke, what does that achieve?"
Hence the title: our current council is rotten to the core, saying one thing and doing another. And that is something we should not tolerate. De-elect them all and let Cthulhu sort them out.
