Mayor's Memo

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3 Oct, 2022

 

Kia ora,

What a journey it’s been since I was elected to serve the people of Kaipara in 2018. Thank you to everyone who supported my vision for this place. I wanted Kaipara District Council to be stabilised, and to stop the rapid changes of governance and management leadership which had been a feature of the council. Kaipara needed steady hands. We’ve done supremely well on that with CE Louise Miller, whose appointment in April 2018 was the most important decision the Council made and whose skills and style set KDC up for all the progress made since.

Tackling growth and managing debt, delivering stimulating long-term projects with great outcomes for Kaipara people and improving the roads were goals when I set out to be Mayor. All things considered, including Covid, the last two terms of Council have seen great progress. I’ve worked hard to put Kaipara on the national map and get better support for here.

Kaipara District Council now has many advancements including:

· A Centre for Excellence in Unsealed Roading inside the Northland Transportation Alliance, applying $8m of PGF funds to Kaipara roads;

· A complete Spatial Plan;

· An Exposure Draft of a new District Plan;

· Agreements with Te Iwi o Te Roroa and Te Kahu o Taonui;

· Part-ownership of development agency Northland Inc;

· A new Council building in Dargaville, built by Northland Regional Council;

· A wharf network and much more.

 

I give special thanks and gratitude to the Councillors who’ve worked so hard to make great governance decisions, bringing their best selves to Council Meetings to get the job done. I particularly acknowledge the huge contribution by my two Deputy Mayors Anna Curnow and Peter Wethey, without whose service, skills and support we would have achieved only a fraction of our progress. Together we’ve all had a great run. The Council is in a good place for the next group of elected members to build forwards.

I have greatly enjoyed being Mayor of Kaipara, the part of Northland where I was born and raised and where I’ve lived, worked and played for most of my life. Thank you for trusting me to be your Mayor. It’s been an honour and a privilege to serve you in this capacity, one of the great highlights of my life. Whatever fresh fields may lie ahead, I will always know I gave my all for Kaipara when it was needed. I believe in this place and the amazing people here, and I always will. I hope you do too. Go well.

 

Nga mihi nui kia koutou katoa,

 

Mayor Jake

Dr Jason Smith, Mayor of Kaipara District

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