The Local Government conference in Christchurch last week provided a chance for Government to repeat its message to Councils to get back to basics … and that is largely business as usual for us here in Ashburton.

We’ve been told to prioritise essential services, spend wisely, invest in core infrastructure and deliver value for money.

I think these are things we have been doing in the Ashburton District, and the numbers in our Annual Plan – a public document on our website – support that.

If you look at our budget by activity, 80 per cent of it is spent on roads, three waters, rubbish, regulatory services and recreation facilities. Doing that 80 per cent will help us support another Government directive, which is to support local economic growth and development by doing the basics right!

You may also have heard the media and Government talk about capping rates and yes, rates rises do need to be managed, but not at the cost of passing a problem on to future generations. If councils gather less rates than they need to provide essential services, then levels of service inevitably reduce.

One thing clear at the conference was that Councils are in challenging times and they sometimes have to make tough calls. Equally clear was that we are up for it, and doing our best.

From big infrastructure to consistently doing all the little things right, we need to have a solid platform for communities to live, work and play.

Another essential responsibility for Councils is civil defence, and we only have to cast our minds back to 2021 and 2022 to know the damage that floods can cause.

Being prepared is key so that we can reduce risk, be ready, respond, and recover.