Macpherson aims to stop vital asset sales
Mayoral candidate Dave Macpherson wants Hamilton to keep hold of its community assets, especially pensioner housing.
Keep the pensioner housing and community facilities, and use any money from selling commercial assets wisely, says Dave Macpherson.
The Hamilton City Council mayoral candidate released another section of his mayoral policy yesterday, this one opposing vital asset sales.
“[Asset sales are] an area that’s been quite a hot potato for the last year and a half in Council because of our sale of pensioner housing… and also the sale of the YMCA,” Macpherson said.
“Council’s parks, theatres, and other community facilities will not be up for sale on my watch.”
Macpherson said he would work to stop any further sales of pensioner housing, and collaborate with other agencies to increase the single-person housing available in Hamilton.
“I believe the council’s got a responsibility to provide some of that … and I haven’t been happy that we’ve been trying to get out of that game.”
The amount of feedback from constituents when pensioner housing was being sold showed how important it was to the community, he said.
Macpherson also opposed the sale of strategic assets, unless it could be proven that control would not be passed to the private sector.
“If we didn’t own [the strategic assets it] would mean that we couldn’t control the direction the city was moving in in a way that was beneficial to its residents.”
For example, he wanted to see the council get control of pricing at the organic recycling centre and Refuse Transfer Station, so it could encourage more people to recycle.
However the sale of commercial assets was fair game, as long as the proceeds were used wisely.
“It is perfectly legitimate for the Council to sell them if the price is right and use the proceeds to retire debt and/or support the development of other facilities that the public needs.”
In terms of community facilities, Mr Macpherson would prioritise a playground development programme, community indoor recreation centre, and developing a public swimming pool.
“All of these are sort of kids or family-oriented things. We don’t have good facilities in Hamilton compared with other cities.”
