Mayors Memo

Mayor’s Memo

13 Mar, 2023

There’s not much to say about the extreme weather events of last month that hasn’t already been said, so I’ll keep it short. We can all be immensely proud of the efforts across the district to get us back on our feet and moving forward. Our Mayoral Relief Fund is currently receiving applications from those most in need.

Both Cyclone Gabrielle and the Mangawhai rainfall event have collectively done a lot of damage across Kaipara that will need to be repaired. Many are not easy fixes. We are a small council with small rating database and do not have the fat in our budgets to set aside large amounts of money for possible emergency works year to year (we do budget for a small amount).

For roading, Waka Kotahi have already said they will be subsidising works to get our roading network back up and running but have not confirmed yet how much the subsidy will be.

Currently we are now reviewing all our projects planned for the coming year to understand where we may have to reprioritise funding. We are continuing to look through our budgets with a fine-tooth comb and will keep you updated as we move towards finalising the budgets and the adoption of our next Annual Plan (2023-2024).

I made it out to the Northland Fields Days a couple of weekends ago. It has returned in great spirit to Dargaville after three years and with approximately 17,000 people through the gates it was humming. You could tell everyone really enjoyed getting out in the sun, catching up with friends and enjoying the exhibits.

Council had a space where we could meet and listen to what our community had to say and what they wanted for the future. It brought home to me the value of these conversations and staying in touch with community aspirations. I really enjoy these events and I hope those of you who attended did too. Thank you to all those who took the time to talk with us, and congratulations to the organisers for another successful event.

Mayor Craig Jepson

Kaipara District