Mayor Max Brough. Photo: LDR /Te Korimako o Taranaki
New Plymouth's Positive Ageing group has issued a call to arms over the council's decision to scrap its Aged and Accessibility Working Party.
The working party is being disestablished under new Mayor Max Brough's committee structure.
Positive Ageing is calling on members of Age Concern, Grey Power, Enable Taranaki and the Taranaki Disability Information Centre to join it at a council meeting 18 December to support a motion to retain the working party.
Spokesperson Gordon Hudson said a slim majority of the newly-elected councillors are keen to see this long-standing council committee scrapped.
"Not to save the minimal cost of having such a committee, but simply put, because the older adults and all those with disabilities in our community do not warrant the hassle of being recognised, respected and treated as people whose voice is important to them.
"Let's rein in the ageist attitude of a little more than half the city councillors - good people that they are - they somehow cannot see the value of inclusion over exclusion, of respect over disrespect."
Aged and Accessibility Working Party chair in the previous term and councillor Sam Bennett tried to get the new committee structure deferred at an extraordinary council meeting this week, but was voted down.
He was now expected to move a motion to retain the working at next week's meeting.
At the meeting, Brough suggested the new Public Engagement Committee would set aside 30 minutes during its meetings to listen to issues related to age and accessibility concerns along with other interest groups.
"They will have an opportunity to have input into the decision-making process rather than reviewing decisions that have already been made.
"And there are internal working groups that work with outside interests and the intent has always been that there would be space for the aged and disability community in this area."
Brough said this would be explained at next week's meeting and he was happy to listen to deputations on the subject.
But that was cold comfort to Hudson.
"Let's support the idealism and the realism of those councillors who do support the reinstatement of this committee.
"One thing is for sure, if this committee continues to be disestablished - it will be a very long process to re-establish it. It may be even gone forever.
It will be a decision that the current council will regret for a long time to come."
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