Simin Williams is a concerned Tairāwhiti resident who is interested in democratic processes
At the last council meeting, councillor Thompson had the temerity to bring up the subject of Grey St, based on the public feedback he had received (a video of the meeting is available on the council website; this discussion is around the three-hour mark).
Cr Thompson wanted to know the start date of the supposed one-year trial and if the lessons from Grey St had been learned so mistakes were not repeated in a similar project in Uawa/Tolaga.
Despite people having experienced the new Grey St for a few weeks now, apparently the project’s “start date” hasn’t arrived yet.
Our mayor was clearly rattled by the matter being raised in the council meeting.
And to my shock, mayor Stoltz was of the opinion that lessons learned would be after the trial. As if she hadn’t heard one word of the voluminous feedback from Gisborne residents, especially around safety.
The CEO couldn’t see why Eastland Wood Council would be concerned about bumps in the highway in the Uawa project.
Does the council know about the use of speed signs for traffic through small towns?
They still keep referring to Grey St as a temporary trial, although Cr Thompson mentioned the use of “permanent” in one of the council’s own documents.
The mayor asked, what is the alternative?
Well, I have an answer, please call Minister Simeon Brown and ask for reinstatement of the original Grey St.
The mayor kept saying the funding was secured from NZTA by Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust (TAT), knowing the contract is between NZTA and the council (not with TAT). So, responsibility is solely with the council.
She effectively says that people have to give it a go for a year (after the start date eventually starts), by the end of which people can see what is working and what is not.
As if she hasn’t heard people’s feedback and their conclusion that it is not working, it is not safe nor functional, and they want their Grey St back to how it was.
She says the project needs to go over one summer, to see the interactions of people.
As if people are not using Grey St daily throughout the year, they need to see it during summer. Perhaps the council is hoping for another street party by TAT over the summer to conduct another “survey” to collect some positive feedback from anyone passing through!
Those using Grey St, though, don’t need a summer to see how their previously great street is mutilated and looks more like an “obstacle course”, more suitable inside an adventure park!
While the mayor seems to hope people can still be deceived about the trial/temporary nature of Grey St, Cr Robinson spills the beans by saying Grey St is just one little step in the big picture they have for Tairāwhiti in terms of roading and multi-faceted transport. He tells us about “bigger picture goals”, especially in terms of carbon footprint. He was thinking if we can’t cope with this small step, how can we cope with big steps in 20 to 30 years like handling single-occupant cars?
Perhaps Cr Robinson, so eager to sign off Grey St, would like to show us the carbon footprint of all the changes done to Grey St and any analysis that these will reduce the overall carbon footprint in town. If speed was an issue, why didn’t they just put a reduced speed sign in Grey St?
Perhaps people need to find out what bigger-picture goals this council has in mind for our district if Grey St is only a small part of it.
The most disturbing aspect of this council exchange for me was the mayor’s reaction to a councillor bringing up people’s concerns and complaints. This, in spite of Cr Cranston speaking about the abuse he had received near the skate park, and the mayor saying she herself has big shoulders to receive feedback and loves to hear both positive and negative feedback. So, how come she can’t receive people’s feedback in council chambers through a councillor? How else are people going to be heard?
If she finds it hard to hear councillors bringing up these matters in council meetings, perhaps she should spare a thought for residents who have to deal with the hazards of Grey St daily.
What is it going to take to reinstate Grey St? The death of a child? Or perhaps our mayor picking up the phone to Minister Brown and telling him the Grey St changes are not working, people have seen enough and they don’t want it, let’s talk about reinstating Grey St as it was.
Minister Brown would understand as he had the wisdom to stop funding for any further “streets for people” projects – an abomination unleashed on our people by the previous Labour Government.
