Local democracy getting harder to deliver, ICC acknowledges

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Decisions, decisions . . .

The Invercargill City Council is wrestling with the challenge of increased, and more complex, workloads required by legislation.

On top of that, the council finds itself needing to consult about these ever-more-complicated issues with an increasingly stressed public in a polarised political environment.

As a result, it is taking longer to reach a way forward on some issues, and dissatisfaction with some council decisions is increasing.

These are all points the council acknowledges in the democratic processes section of its 10-year plan, the draft for which the council has approved and which, after an auditing check, will be released for public feedback in coming weeks.

The council’s proposed response to these problems is to accept a need to offer different types of public engagement – such as citizen panels – as well as boosting its own capabilities by increased staff numbers, councillor and staff training.

It intends to improve its technical capacities to engage with many resident, but also to accept older people still prefer more personal contact.

Significant issues facing the community include the strategic issues of inner-city revitalisation, climate change and water reform, as well as ageing buildings.

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Consensus doesn’t always come this easily.

Many issues are proving “complex for councillors, officers and the public to engage with”, the draft plan states.

Community research has shown that residents are interested in taking part in the council’s decision-making processes via online methods, as well as in more interactive, conversational-style formats.

This has its own challenges because individuals can adapt to, and use, advances in technology at a faster rate than a corporate body like the council can.

This can lead to the community wishing to engage with the council in a way that the council cannot yet provide.

Invercargill’s population is, on average, ageing and the council anticipates the need for increasingly diverse range of both digital and non-digital ways of engagement.

On the one hand, people have indicated they are interested in taking part in online consultations, particularly in a forum-based setting where they can communicate with both the council and other residents about issues and solutions, the draft plan states.

But those 65 and older have indicated they are not interested in online participation and would prefer to be engaged through face-to-face or one-on-one delivery methods, so further advertising of these opportunities is also proposed.

The council notes that many people who have given dissatisfied feedback when surveyed say this stems from their unhappiness with previous council decisions.

Some say there is no point taking part as they feel the council does not take residents’ feedback into account.

So the council proposes working to raise awareness of the reasons to take part, as well as supplying more information around the democratic processes and the impact participating has.

The Southland Times