Residents: Ian tries, Stephanie needs to improve but where’s Alick?

Posted on 31 May 2007

Article Published in the Wellingtonian, May 31st 2007

COUNCILLOR IAN McKinnon is diligent and Stephanie Cook doesn't attend regularly but who is Alick Shaw? That's the Lambton Ward residents' associations' report card for their three ward councillors. Ms Cook says if that's how ratepayers see her, she'll just have to try harder, while deputy Mayor Shaw says he doesn't attend residents' association meetings but the job keeps him busy most nights. Brooklyn Residents' Association president John Macalister says Mr McKinnon has been active but of Alick Shaw and Stephanie Cook they've seen neither "hide nor hair". In fact, Southern Ward councillor Celia Wade-Brown has been more locally active, working with Mr McKinnon to upgrade Central Park.

Flagstaff Hill Residents' Association spokesperson Neil Pryor says although councillors have represented them quite well, Mr McKinnon is the only one they have had direct contact with. Wadestown Residents' Association president John Shrapnell says the suburb is generally not well-served by its councillors but Ian McKinnon is the exception. "He has done really well, involved in the community, taken an interest in everything we've done. Really good councillor, as far as we're concerned." They haven't seen Ms Cook in the past three years and "Alick Shaw has never been to Wades-town, to the best of my knowledge".

Mount Victoria Residents' Association president Rosamund Averton says first-term councillor Mr McKinnon has made the most effort to fmd out about local issues. Highland Park Progressive Association chairpersonDorothyDouglass says Mr McKinnon appears to regard Highland Park as part of his patch, attending meetings and listening, but Mr Shaw appears more focused on Oriental Bay, or Ms Cook seems to look after Te Aro, "I'd give top marks as [McKinnon] being a conscientious and hard-working councillor." Oriental Bay Residents Association president Colin Blair is very reluctant to make political comment, but Mr McKinnon has taken a keen interest in the area's problems with boy racers and noise during the past two of years and, to a lesser extent so has Mr Shaw, but they haven't seen much of Ms Cook.

Aro Valley Community Council co-chairperson Roland Sapsford says Ms Cook is "very much our local councillor" and a stalwart for Aro Valley. Mr McKinnon has also put quite a lot of effort into local things in more recent months; vandalism at the community centre, problems with the university hostel proposal. "It's positive to have more than one councillor responding." However, "we see and hear very little of Alick Shaw". Ms Cook says she has spent time in Russia in the last year. "It would certainly be valid for the last year, fair comment ... if it is people's perceptions, what can I say about that, except try harder?" There has always been an informal division of councillors' efforts simply to deal with the work load, she says. "It's a big ward to cover and if you're familiar with a certain area it makes sense ... where there's a particular issue in that area we'll usually brief the other two ward councillors." Mr McKinnon says he finds the work in the wards and interaction with the people highly satisfying. "Furthermore I see that work as entirely non-political. I'm happy to be approached by anyone in the ward ... I believe the situation where a ward councillor can be particularly useful is when I can assist people to get their concerns to the right part of council." He has also worked with ward business owners on such issues as footpath sandwich boards and café seating.

Mr Shaw says the comments that he's rarely seen "would probably be fair in the sense that I don't spend my time going to residents' association meetings". As deputy mayor of Wellington City his duties extend across the city, which leaves few nights when he is not engaged on official business. "If I'm home twice a week for dinner I would be lucky." The issues of the ward are similar to the rest of the city: Safety, order in the inner city, access to transport, parking issues in Wades-town, vandal ism and tagging in Mount Victoria, many of which are on their way to resolution. "One of the things I don't do is make a song and dance about those things and advertise them on the Internet."

Whether he has been an effective councillor is "really for othes to judge" All three say they will stand again this year.