Dear Mayor Wilde. I read your update in the Martinborough Star. You’ve clearly set yourself a low bar to demonstrate achievements and outcomes.
I distinctly recall one of your campaign statements that “we won’t need a 100 day plan, we’ll be going hard on day 1”. Well, it’s day 112 (or thereabouts) and the achievements and outcomes to date are uninspiring. For example:
You say an RFP has been issued for upgrade work on the wastewater plant. This is not new and has been expected for some time. I have no doubt this was already underway by the SWDC Council staff, not the councillors, so not a real achievement, just another step on a long project. And RFP’s can be AI generated so not an arduous task.
You say new consents can be issued, but that they can’t connect to the drainage system. Sorry, that’s not a real achievement or outcome given that there’s no date yet for the new wastewater system so no work yet for tradies and a gamble by property owners. It could take years. Money in the door of Council though.
And please tell me why more “advisory groups” are required when Martinborough has 3 Councillors on the SWDC, and 3 representatives from the Community Board. Surely all of these 6 people have “local knowledge and lived experience” (your words, not mine) and that their fundamental role is to understand local needs and represent the ratepayers. Why do you need more people. It’s simply a stalling tactic and undeserving of the people of Martinborough.
And I note the trotting out of the tired and hackneyed political statement of “fixing many years of no decisions”. Sounds to me like it’s back to the future.
