It’s time for the CCC to play hardball over Three Waters

This Government is amazing. It’s confiscating our water services and paying next to nothing for them. Some of our parks will also go to the Government. They’re part of the water catchments.

We’ll have virtually no say over how these water services will be run. They’ll charge us through the neck for water ‘‘services’’. Again, with negligible accountability.

They now require Christchurch City Council staff working in Three Waters to leave CCC on January 1, and join an organisation which doesn’t exist yet.

It’s time for CCC elected reps to say to the Government that they won’t hand over staff, just as they refused to cooperate over intensification.

The relationship between central government and local government is broken. A message of ‘‘stop stealing our local infrastructure’’ should be sent reminding them that they’re behaving like bullies who have stopped listening. Local MPs voted for this theft of our resources.

Garry Moore, Mairehau

Voting age

Should 16- and 17-year olds have the right to vote? A good question. the Supreme Court of NZ declares that the fact that they can’t vote is discriminatory and against the Bill of Rights. If that is so, then perhaps other age restrictions, such as accessing licensed premises and purchasing alcohol are also discriminatory.

Certainly, the voting age is important. But of equal if not greater importance for 16-and 17year-olds is that they feel safe in public spaces including places of entertainment, they have access to good health and educational facilities, they can enjoy clean air and a clement climate, and when they come of age they have sufficient means to turn an affordable house into a warm and comfortable home for themselves and their children.

Ian Badger, Christchurch Central

Consultation

I hope the current consultations on extensive speed limit changes and central city stadium road changes are being watched by those tasked with reforming local government. There is plenty of evidence here that shows representative democracy doesn’t serve us well and that alternatives such as citizens’ assemblies would be better.

The connection between the public and the council is just not enough. The speed limit changes (Editorial, Dec 1) have come as a surprise and could well get a bad rap because of the lack of background discussion and understanding, and the way consultation has been carried out.

The stadium roads consultation shows how much representative democracy is misunderstood, even by the mayor. I see the spot article on this (1200 submissions on $33m street upgrades, Dec 2) grasps at the response numbers for and against as some sort of legitimate poll – it is far from that.

From my understanding some councillors and staff have promoted a citizens’ assembly model for some projects in the past but these were voted down by the council. As I said, I hope the reformers are watching.

Brian Ward, Papanui