Continually Learn and Grow

Posted by on 24 June 2010 | 0 Comments

One of the roles of being in local government, and certainly a part I enjoy, is that you ask questions, listen, observe and learn wherever you go. If you do this, you can learn so much about different ways of approaching issues and dealing with problems.

That's why our recent visit to our Italian sister city Cinque Terre was a/ important and b/ very valuable. We saw and heard of many things that could assist back here in Southland and we asked the questions about water, sewerage, rubbish, roading, employment, culture, environment and so on.

One such example is in roading. The main motorways and roads through Europe are fantastic but I learnt that the roads are closed from Saturday lunchtime through Sunday to large trucks except for those carrying essential products. That would be an interesting premise here, but I guess one of the arguments could be what is considered essential.

On arriving in Cinque Terre by train, one American tourist is said to have asked "Is this real or is it make believe like Disney Land?" I am sure lots of our delegation felt that way too. When you come from a country as young as New Zealand, seeing so much living history is overwhelming. Cinque Terre is all about history and heritage, but we can learn from their promotion of that. They encourage visitors to pick up all rubbish as it is an old and fragile environment, we can encourage people to do the same because we are virtually untouched in some of our national parks. They encourage people to visit during the low season to spread the load on tracks, we can do the same.

One of the key things that really interested me was the way Cinque Terre officials are working to encourage their young people to return from all over the world. In 1999 the average age in Cinque Terre was 73. That number is reducing now as the area has committed itself to a sustainable development model, which means it encourages social and economic development while paying particular attention to safeguarding the environment, the health and quality of life of the local inhabitants as well as making sure resources are available for such aims now and in the future.

In the late 1990s, park president Franco Bonanini, in consultation with the local mayors and community, recognised that action was required to conserve the unique heritage and landscape values of the area. Using a UNESCO framework a national park was formed over the area of the five villages. This isn't a national park as we would know it, it's rather more like a strategy that sets out the vision for the area, supported by an administrative framework.

The are now attracts an astonishing 2.5 million visitors per year. The hotels and restaurants have lots of local young people working in them and the pride and passion of these young people in what they offer is obvious.

Cottage industries, such as cosmetics made exclusively from natural ingredients including local organic herbs, fruit and flower extracts, excellent wine, lemon products and jams, all play a part in this economic development. These are some of the products we could market in Southland and we could do an exchange of some of our unique products.

These are just some examples of what I learnt and now the process is to work out what can be used here as to keep Southland in the forefront, we must continually learn and grow.