\"'ELLI ~N {'l!}l,V TE C+f NI'- fi,;J,t l,t CA "Tio r.JS. Vol o4 May 29 1986 The Community Newspaper serving Newtown, Te Aro, Mt Victoria and Mt Cook. Published every other Thursday. FREE Council seeks better Fun for·the kids budgeting system The way the Well- en~er Cr Ritchie's cam­ ed out that only he and Cr budget, but it was hard to . .1 t pa1gn for the Island Bay Ros Noonan had been to· save much. ~ngton City _Counc1 .se s candidacy had under- most of the estimates com­ Cr Kinsella said he did its budget IS due for a standably made it hard for mittee meetings - and not agree with setting rates shake-up·next year. her to attend all five of the they were not members. before working out the Mayor Ian Lawrence told estimates committee meet­ Cr Rex Nicholls said the estimates. Setting an ar­ this month's co_uncil jngs. whole estimates procedure bitrary ceiling would cause meeting he would hke. to He said Cr Spry had been was back to front. He de­ chaos, he said. hear suggestions to 1m- away " once or twice" and scribed it as a cost-plus Cr McDavitt supported a· prove the way the esti- had once attended a Well-' system. call from Cr Nicholls to mates for the year are de- ington Regional Council Councillors dealt with on­ start work on the estimates cided. meeting that clashed with ly six t o 10 per cent of the earlier - in, say, February He said he had been dis- an estimates committee budget , he said. appointed this year at the session. rather than March or April. The rest, called opera­ He s-aid the council lack of input from most But Mr Lawrence said he tions and maintenance, was should .also look at ways to other councillors on the did not believe the non­ set bycouncil otficers-. give the public a say earlier estimates committee. att endance of members had He said t he council's on what they wanted in the There had been difficulty greatly affected the quality salaries and wages bill had council budget. getting the five members of of the estimates. gone up three to 3 V2 times Cr Noonan said she the committee together, he He said the problem was in the past 10 years, while said. more of a hiccough than a believed the outcome this inflation, as measured by year was not too bad. One meeting had been at- fundamental weakness in the consumer price index, But she said councillors tended by only two mem- the system. had increased only 2.1 to bers, and there had been The system is a new one. 2.5 times. did not get a chance to look only three or four at other Mr Lawrence set it up in an " We should set rates that at the whole picture of meetings. attempt to get the esti- the community can afford council operations. A t the council meeting mates work done by people first, then do the They could not, for exam­ where he spoke, Mr Law- with a good knowledge of estimates," he said. ple, consider whether more rence was t he only member the council's financial Each department of the of the cost of the Wakefield of the estimates committee workings. council should charge other parking building should be paid out of loans, to be paid · present. Last year the mayor con- departments for services. All four of the bther vinced the council to set up Then, if outside firms could back by parking charges, members were absent when five-member finance and re­ do the work cheaper they to free more money for the council considered the sources committee to re­ should be allowed to do it, spending elsewhere. committee's recommenda- place the former finance Cr Nicholl s said. S he called for d raft tions. and p olicy committ ee, estimates to be published Cr Helene Ritchie was which was actually the Cr Len · Paske said the in February to give the N·ewtown kids had lots of fun during the holidays heavily involved with her whole council. committees he served on public a month to comment thanks to the programme put on by the Newtown nomination as the Labour This year, instead of ap­ looked . hard at t he opera­ on them. Community Centre. For words and pictures turn to candidat e for the Island pointing a special three­ tions a nd maintenance Continued page 3 pages 4 and 5. Bay electorate, just three person estimates commit: days before t he final selec- tee as in the past, t he tion meeting. finance and resources com- Crs Keith Spry and Brian mittee was given the j ob. Harris saves .:):}, Weyburne were attending a The idea was to appoint ' ~- planning conference in New people wit h special know­ ~ -- - __,, Plymout h. ledge of t he council's CARS (WGTN) LTD Cr Rosemary Young finances - but the out- safety project Welli_ngton··s light Rouse was out of t own, ac- come was not what the . cording to M r Lawrence. mayor had hopild. A . last-mm_ute effort She moved formally that commercial centre Mr Lawrence told Mess- Cr Terry McDavitt point- by city councillor Jenny t he project should be put Harris has ensured back on t he list of works to 81 Datsun Sunny $6998 COMMERCIALS be done this year, and a SGX . Top car, 81 Bedford CF Van $9998 ---------~---------· speed-control humps in solid majority of coun­ top condition 36,000 K's, I . I Newtown' s neighbour- 75 Mazda RX2 $5498 one owner. As cillors voted in favour. new van I FREE Semi-permanent I hood improvement area Another decision made Auto. Mags, I . Colour I will be installed this by the estimates commit­ etc. low K's 80 Ford Escort $5998 77 Mini LE 1 000cc $4298 1300 van. I - with all perms I year. tee just days before the Very tidy . Great condition I I In any angry speech at council meeting means a LOOK 83 Econovan $8998 I V I'd (I J ne 30 with advert I ~his month's c<_mncil meet- reprieve for the Aro Valley 81 Mazda 323 $749.8 Hi -roof . Low I a I Un I U I mg, Cr Harns strongly community offices. 5-door. Popular K's criticised the way the The original plans for the tidy sedan 78 Bedford CF $ 7998 new Aro Valley pre-school 81 Mitsubishi $7998 Repowered 6 I estimates were set for this cylinder. Very STUDENTS- & PENSIONERS financial year. included a small office area Mirage . , I to be used by the communi­ Attractive car nice She said the speed 79 Suzuki ST90V ASL $4998 I ty worker and the Citizens 77 Marina 1300 $2998 Van , Rear seat, radio, etc humps, which made the Advice Bureau. Economical and · Cheap to ·rµn· Discount Mon & Tues tidy 25% roads safer for children, But within the last few 33 Toyota Hi Lu x $9498 had earlier been " above the -75•Datsun 120Y $4298 Large canopy with roller : ' weeks before the city coun­ 4 door economical saloon line" - the cut-off line set cil set its budget, the office door, low km , top condition by councillors for special 81 Chevette S/W $5998 82 Ford Econovan RSL $8498 building was on the threat­ Big 2.3 motor, customised Van. Very popular . works. ened list of works. 78 Datsun .SunnY. $6800 "Below the line" works commercial, top loading It was only at the last Very tidy & cheap to run space . get no money, so they are · meeting of the estimates 77 Sigr:na 2000 GSL . $5998 80 . Bedford CF RSL \/an $7998 .,,~,,,,.. not done that year. committee that the $32,600 5!Speed, 90,000km Side windows, interior lined Cr Harris said she was project made it above the angry that the $25,000 line. Dep.osits from $1000 available FOR THE BEST ·I vote for the humps had ap-. The decision means the Trades accepted IN HAIR CARE I parent.ly been moved below CAB and the community 57 C~mbridge tee 843-815 843-816 worker will be able to move the line in a last-minute Afntr hours: Kerry Green 861-392 222 Cuba St. decision without reference out of offices described by I to the majority of coun­ Cr Ruth Gotlieb as abys­ ~ LMVD ~ MVDI -~ ·------------. ----------Phone 842 786 I cillors. mal and appalling. $ Weare one of Labour official takes a dying kind · By the editor out story to, task involvement with the com­ Messenger is the last munity independent community An added strength of Dear Sir or Madam allegation at any electorate ficulties of getting infor­ It was also an important newspaper in Wellington Messenger is the en­ committee meetings; mative answers to direct story for Messenger and one of only two inde­ thusiasm and idealism of As chairperson of the publicly or privately. questions. Ar-o Valley branch of the readers, since Island Bay is pendents in the entire the 14 journalism students 6. It is stated that Helen Despite these problems, a "safe" Labour seat and New Zealand Labour Party Wellington region. who gather and write the Ritchie's high profile is not publication of the article the selection of the can­ and an active member for The ·recent sales of the stories, take the photo­ striking the right chord has produced as many bou­ didate for the dominant graphs, sell the advertise­ 10 years, I feel obliged to with H.O.