There are murmurings in the heartland of the South. The Clutha District Council has faced plenty of issues over the past few years. South Otago bureau chief Richard Davison says it is not going to get any easier for whoever sits round the council table.
Traditionally taciturn and small-c conservative in its mien, the great Clutha public has been stirred to action — and even activism — during the past couple of years.
Vaccine mandates, Three Waters reforms, rural (over-) regulation and costly civic projects have led the characteristically cohesive South Otago community to raise its contented murmur to an occasionally lusty roar of discontent.
Although local government responsibility for many of these topics has been limited, it is the local face of politics that has borne the brunt of the brickbats.
Reading between the lines, an increasingly unrewarding job at the coalface is probably a major factor in the departure of five Clutha councillors this election, although one of those — West Otago’s John Herbert — has since changed his mind, and will stand for re-election.
One of the departees — Mel Foster — even felt compelled to withdraw from Lawrence reserve management hearings in September last year due to the "combative" approach of some submitters.
She has since announced she is leaving the district altogether.
Consultation on a bylaw to regulate vehicles on beaches led to some heated exchanges during community feedback sessions in the Catlins, and a record 800-odd submissions.
Putting that into context, the district has only 19,000 residents.
Central government’s controversial Three Waters reforms have led to numerous protests in Balclutha, and elsewhere in the district.
Some candidates standing this October have made resistance to the reforms a central plank of their manifesto, despite the Government’s apparent unswayability.
That may prove challenging for both naysayers and those willing to accept progress during the next three years, as the inevitable changes begin to impact on council staffing, budgets and the minutiae of a highly complex handover.
Co-operation and compromise will be critical, but may be hard to effect.
Reversal of a declining population — allied with filling a continuing glut of jobs — has been a key focus for the council during the past several years.
Incoming officials will need to keep their eyes on the ball in this respect, to ensure apparent green shoots of recovery do not wither.
The population is up about 6% from the 2018 census, suggesting the council’s efforts in fostering housing, and brokering employment, are beginning to take effect.
However, some may fear progress on the underpinning community infrastructure required to attract and retain newcomers remains tectonically slow, leaving the momentum gained at risk.
Post-election, differences over precisely what a burgeoning, thriving future for Clutha looks like must quickly find common ground in council chambers.
Thick skins are all very well, but not, perhaps, at the expense of flexibility.
