DO you want to get the ear of the mayor? The first ‘Meet the Mayor and Councillors’ day for 2011 is on March 1 and interested groups are invited to register. Community, sports, business and arts organisations, as well as residents’ associations and ethnic and cultural organisations are welcome.
In December, members from 63 community groups, which included The Humorous Arts Trust, Salvation Army Youth Services, and Filipino Artists Association, met Wellington City councillors for the first time to talk about their hopes and concerns.
“Hearing people is the key. We wanted to find out how we could interact better with community groups and also discuss solutions to financial challenges, such as leaky homes,” says Wellington City councillor Paul Eagle, who is in charge of the community engagement portfolio.
“People really appreciated not being forced into a council environment with bells and whistles. One woman at a council meeting expressed dismay, as she couldn’t finish what she was saying. It is democracy gone wrong,” he says.
The discussions covered youth and the ageing population, the grants scheme – including a desire for more information and training, public transport including affordability of buses, light rail, and suggestions of a free inner city bus route, and several groups commented on over-zealous parking enforcement.
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, says face-to-face discussions and good communication between community groups and councillors are one of her main aims.  “It is even more important in this electronic age when emails and internet communication prevail,” she says.
Groups can register at www.wellington.govt.nz by clicking on ‘Have your say’ and ‘Meet the Councillors’. Spaces are limited.
Meet the Mayor, Te Papa, 1.30pm, 3.00pm and 6.30pm, March 1.