Name change for justice body

The Napier Pilot City Trust has waved goodbye to years of confusion over its name by deciding on a new identity at its annual meeting in Napier on Saturday.

While there were some concerns about the absence of Napier from the new name, a unanimous vote signed-off the proposal that the trust would go into its 30th year known as Whakakotahitanga - CommUnity Solutions.

The move comes after three years of strategic planning, which chairman Martin Williams said meant examining the organisation from all angles, and the answer had come in what the core purpose was when it was founded in 1983.

A Government-commissioned report at that time recorded a group of Napier people were concerned about increasing violence in New Zealand cities, and showing overall quality of life was decreasing.

It was at the time felt existing systems were not dealing with underlying causes, including social and economic injustice, and were dealing with anti-social behaviour often by trying to help or punish people rather than establishing why it happened.

The Pilot City concept came out of suggestion that Napier could be a working model to introduce innovative approaches to creating an urban environment able to respond to human needs.

Although not involved at the time, Mr Williams pointed out the first project in which the Trust was involved was establishing Neighbourhood Watch in Napier, a trail-blazing role in what is now known nationally as Neighbourhood Support.

"We are promoting community solutions to social and economic problems, and unity between the diverse elements, people and cultures of the communities in which we live," he said.

A change was supported by Trust stalwart Pat Magill, 86 next month. But he, too, conceded he would have been happier if it included something reflecting the area or region.

There are also plans for a website project helping people to work together in the city.

Mr Williams, a barrister, said voluntary agency or individual support resources in Hawke's Bay included about 380 on the Napier City Council's Community A-Z data base. "If we can help bring them together, then we would be performing our core role."