Unfortunately there are people at the Northland District Health Board (DHB) who feel that any progress needs to be controlled.

Now I’m not going to get into the debate that fast food is bad for us, the question I want to ask is this: Does the DHB have the right to say no to a new development which is going to create 60-70 new jobs? That is what they are saying to a possible new McDonald’s to be constructed near Bunning’s in Raumanga.

If there was going to be a sweet factory created, would they also object? What about fizzy drink factory? How about the creation of a coal mine? Yes, the DHB has a right just like everybody else has to object to developments, but we should look at the grounds on which they do this.

As a corporate, McDonalds is one of the few fast food restaurants that is trying to change with the times. That is why they have created their health food options. Remember they are just a company that is trying to fill a need. If the need wasn’t there, then would there be a need for the company?

The DHB doesn’t seem to respond to the community’s distaste for fluoride. The government has given them mandate to do what they want regarding fluoride, yet the community has had no say in this. The DHB wants schools to ban sugary drinks, meanwhile the nurses and doctors are able to grab a sugary cappuccino or energy drink whenever they please. The hospital also has a café which serves food which is not affordable for most people. So is the DHB really in touch with the people it represents?

Don’t get me wrong, the DHB does a wonderful job of encouraging homes to be insulated, trying to make the flu jab popular and halting the spread of measles, along with many other good things within the community. But where does their role start and finish?  Typically DHBs should mend injured people as well as disseminate education. I say the DHB should give the community advice about how to live their lives but it shouldn’t dictate.   

This October’s local body elections are more than just for district councillor positions – they are also for health board positions and power board positions. Let’s make sure that we have people on these boards who actually understand the community that we live in.