Wheeler’s Corner
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Wheelers Corner special
edition March 2018
1. Ever heard of David
Clapperton, no? Well he is the CEO of Horowhenua District Council [yes
Horowhenua is a Maori word].
 |
| CEO David Clapperton. |
The township of Levin is where he
is based. It is a nice little spot, it has roads and shops and sports fields
but it has one of the most polluted lakes in Aotearoa [NZ].
It also continues to pour waste matter into this mistreated little bit of our fair land.
It also continues to pour waste matter into this mistreated little bit of our fair land.
It [HDC] also appears to have real
democracy problems, it bans individuals from Council meetings, and believe it
or not it even bans elected Councillor’s and it even once banned it’s elected
Mayor from chatting with the unelected CEO or his staff.
It would appear that maybe a home made local junta runs the place, a
combination of soundless and meek councilors, a police force that is inclined
to only hear one side of the story, and an all controlling and uncontrollable god
like CEO.
PRESS RELEASE
Former Horowhenua
District Councillor Anne Hunt tells Chief Executive it is time to go.
David Clapperton, who is currently the chief executive
of the dysfunctional Horowhenua District Council, has announced that he intends
to reapply for the vacancy when the term of his contract expires during July
2018.
But Mrs Hunt who served on this council from 2004
until 2013 has sent Mr Clapperton a letter telling him that he should
reconsider his future, because he has placed the Levin community at extreme
risk.
Her main bone of contention was the decision to
disconnect Phil Taueki’s water supply during November 2016 and refuse to
connect it despite Mr Taueki’s hospitalisation. Mr Clapperton claims he
disconnected Mr Taueki’s water at the request of the Lake confirms that the
Judge who appointed these Lake Horowhenua trustees had failed to declare a
conflict of interests with Matt Sword, a former lawyer who chairs this lake
trust.
The Council is currently applying to renew Levin’s
wastewater discharge consent that lapses this year, and also plans to apply for
resource consent to discharge Levin’s stormwater into the privately-owned and
culturally-sensitive Lake Horowhenua.
Bruce Gordon as Chair of Horizons Regional Council had
warned the Council seven years ago that it would need resource consent to
continue discharging Levin’s stormwater into this lake. Lake Horowhenua is
rated one of this country’s most polluted lakes.
Mr Taueki is not only a direct descendent of Treaty
signatory, but also a beneficial owner of Lake Horowhenua and the chair of
Hokio Trusts that owns land adjoining Levin’s wastewater disposal site.
At a recent meeting to discuss resource consents, Mr
Taueki warned council officers that he was not prepared to work with council
while Mr Clapperton remains chief executive.
Mr Taueki’s health has suffered as a result of the
unsanitary conditions at his home on ancestral land at Lake Horowhenua, but
refuses to be forced out by tactics such as this prolonged water disconnection.
Mrs Hunt says that even in India, a High Court has ruled that a municipal
authority cannot disconnect water, simply because water is an essential of
life. Press release ends:
Read this from last
year,
This shows clearly that
Mr Clapperton has very little understanding of what democracy in local
government means. In my view he should not be reemployed by the council this is
their chance to bring Horowhenua back from the brink of legalised dictatorship.
Present Councillor’s need to find the courage to stand tall and reinstate the
back bone needed to bring Horowhenua into the 21st century.
You may feel inclined to let Mr Clapperton know that you feel that he should stand down and let a new and open minded person bring some fresh air into the Horowhenua District Councils much needed reforms.Just contact the HDC via any of these means:
Email: enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz
Post: Private Bag 4002, Levin 5540
Levin Office: 126 Oxford Street, Levin 5510
You may feel inclined to let Mr Clapperton know that you feel that he should stand down and let a new and open minded person bring some fresh air into the Horowhenua District Councils much needed reforms.Just contact the HDC via any of these means:
Email: enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz
Post: Private Bag 4002, Levin 5540
Levin Office: 126 Oxford Street, Levin 5510
Peter J Wheeler
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