City Council 'powerless'

'The City Council is virtually powerless. It must be replaced by a Regional Authority-both to create real local government and save Wellington ratepayers money," says Labour candidate for the October 12 City Council elections, 29-year-old Mrs. Yvonne Grove (left).

Yvonne, a student at both University and Training College, has appeared in several television panel discussions, as well as holding positions on Carp, the Workers' Education Association and in trade unions.

Yvonne thinks that the City Council as it now stands is virtually powerless, especially as far as students are concerned. She wants to become a councillor only in order to expedite a transfer of power-but not powerlessn ess-to a directly elected Regional Development Authority which would have more real power.

Local body anarchy costs ratepayers money-particularly Wellingtonians, who at present subsidise commuters from Hutt and Porirua who use city amenities.

"It's just taken twelve months for the city councils of the four main centres to get a report on Urban Renewal accepted by the Government," said Yvonne. "And this report-on the inner-city area-does not once mention student housing which is largely in this inner-city Apparently no consideration has been given to subsidising student housing or preparing for housing for the increasing student population.

"A student is needed on Council to bring this kind of thinking down to earth."

The City Council has no power to police student flats to prevent profiteering and to eliminate sub-standard accommodation.

It cannot even enforce its own regulations. This can only be changed by re-organising the whole local body set-up.

Yvonne will support University control of Kelburn Park-which is the logical recreation area for students -and act as University spokeswoman on matters, like the re-zoning of buildings for the University bookshop.