Alexa Forbes: Why I'm leaving local government

Our full interview - and some hope for the future

We spoke with former QLDC councillor Alexa Forbes about her decision not to stand again for the Otago Regional Council and why she believes the QLDC, where she was also a councillor, and all local government is “broken.”

AF: I don't have any regrets. No. I've learned a huge amount and I've thoroughly enjoyed my time. I do think that local government is broken. I don't think it's, working well - it really needs reform. But I don’t know if it can do it, frankly. You know, I think that almost the way the world is, it makes it incredibly difficult and things are moving very, very fast. The impact of that it’s really too much for the long processes, the long slow processes that local government has.

Crux: Are there quality candidates our there to take your place?

AF: I think there's real opportunity out there. I mean, my energy for the moment has has waned. So I need to take a break, and that's just as it is. I would like to have had more impact than I think I've had, but I don't regret that. I think that there is opportunity for the makeup of local government to be changing. You know, it used to be people who are a lot older, kind of retired and giving back. It's become a bit more open than that. We've got quite a few young people on QLDC and on ORC, we've got a very young mayor in Central Otago. So that makeup is changing and that's the heartening part. And these people will hopefully bring some, about some of that change that needs to happen.

Crux: Do you think there'll be a big sea change at this local body election?

AF: I'm not sure that we'll see a sea change. We might, I don't know. I don't have that crystal ball, but I do think that there's opportunity for people in there. The system is broken. I get that. But a broken system gives you the opportunity. Often you hear in startups and things like that, they have to break something to make something new, and, and there's some to that possibly. And there will be people out there that have ideas and can bring them into play. And that's the people we are looking for. We're looking for people that are willing to make change and to get in there and see if they can help some of these systems move.

Crux: Would you agree it's not entirely a systemic problem, as we've observed with Central Otago, a different personality can make the system work better?

AF: Yes. I think different personalities can have different impacts on the system. But I still think the system is broken.

Another part of the system that doesn't work well is being the regulator and the enforcer - it puts you in a position that makes things very difficult. And I kind of feel like now, and well, actually, I can't talk about that (ORC vs QLDC sewage) court case. I have some feelings on that now. I have to bring them in at a later date. I can't go. I'm sorry.

Crux: What does the future look like for you?

AF: It's just my work and my work is for ways of living that community and environment and lives in reciprocity with community and environment. And that's, that's what's important to me, and that's my work. And at the moment, I've been doing that through teaching and individual students on masters and bachelor's programs and, and through my work on the councillors. And so that's my work. So where that work takes me next, I'm not exactly sure. I've got a few sort of ideas, but I probably need to talk to some other people about that first. Yes. <laughs>. And, um, but it will be in those spaces. I'll stay in that space. And I, I kind of feel like I know quite a lot about governance now. I know kind of how to get things done and I don't know if it'll stay in the governance space. I'm not sure.”