Blumsky Mark: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
Blumsky Mark: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:632;Page:3831] 
MARK BLUMSKY (National) 
: 
 I can assure those who are listening that at no stage did the Wellington City Council want to have its own traffic department—certainly not while I was the mayor. At no stage did we have a group of people wanting to put on uniforms and go marching through the streets catching people out on traffic lanes and issuing them tickets. I would suggest to members though that the council did have some initiatives that made a difference. We put people on the streets who looked after the safety aspects of the city because we felt that there was a shortage of people keeping an eye on the crime scene. But at the end of the day there was no desire for us to have a traffic department. 
It became very clear through the submission process in the Local Government and Environment Committee that the enforcement issue has to be addressed. I remember asking the Ministry of Transport officials whether if this bill were passed by the House councils could retrospectively challenge and ticket people whom they had captured on some infringements. If I am right the officials made it clear that there was no chance of this bill bringing in a retrospective ability to charge those people. 
It is quite clear that areas like the North Shore have issues to deal with. The North Shore has a problem with its bus lanes; that is quite clear. The mayor made a presentation to the select committee and made it clear to us that people are abusing the bus lanes. Cars are using the bus lanes and they should not do that. He also made it clear to the select committee that the enforcement of those lanes made a difference and did have an impact on how many people actually broke the law. He made it clear also that his ability to issue infringement notices has made a difference. When asked though he did acknowledge that the police resource shortage is one of the reasons why the council wants the ability to issue tickets. It is a pity to find yet again that where there is a central government problem with resourcing local government feels that it has to step up and fill the gap. We see in this legislation the way local government wanted to do that. 
We in the National Party do not want to see local authorities given the ability to issue infringement notices. We believe that such an ability would have the potential to grow. I note that among the number of councillors who made submissions a couple of councillors wanted to be able to issue infringement notices on traffic lights. They wanted their officers to be able to stand on corners and capture cars going through traffic lights. I suggest that that is if you like phase two of the opportunity this legislation provides. I would not mind if the Minister made a comment on that—it was an actual submission to the select committee. 
With those types of submissions coming through the process the Minister should understand the National Party’s concern as to where this will end. Before we know it the council officers standing at the traffic lights capturing cars going through red lights and writing down licence plate numbers would want to have cars so that they could follow offenders in case they had not written the numbers down correctly—and they could capture offenders when they parked. So we might well have little city council cars running around operating as enforcement cars. Obviously I am taking the idea a lot further than the Minister or I would ever want to see it taken but my point is that when we open a door in situations like this we become concerned as to how far that door can be opened. 
I have real sympathy for those who made submissions to the select committee. They have a problem. In this case their bus lanes—Transit lanes or whatever we call them—are being abused. I do not believe that giving councils the authority to dish out infringement notices is the answer. I believe that this is an issue for central government its resourcing of police and its prioritisation to put councils in a position where they can handle the problem in a much better way.