Mangawhai Matters

---

The Mangawhai Matters Incorporated Society got started just a few months ago, to help residents get organised and fundraise, and present an expert case to commissioners hearing Private Plan Change 78 for Mangawhai Central.

Our supporter group now has more than 300 paid-up members, 550 followers on our Facebook page and a website managawhaimatters.com where regular updates are posted. There’s a lot happening and the Mangawhai Focus has kindly offered us this column so we can communicate with our community.

 

Plan Change 78, Mangawhai Central
The Mangawhai Central hearing is now mostly behind us with one further hearing day to be held in late January when KDC and Mangawhai Central Limited complete their evidence. A decision on the Plan Change is due late February/ early March. Watch this space.

 

Ratepayer enrolment
Over the summer we will encourage ratepayers to enrol to vote at the 2022 local body elections. At least 30 per cent of Mangawhai ratepayers are not eligible to vote because they are not enrolled. These are mostly ‘absentee’ property owners who are enrolled to vote in their primary home local body area but not here where their holiday home is located.

You can obtain an enrolment form from the Kaipara District Council website.

 

Mangawhai representation on Kaipara District Council
Mangawhai has just two councillors out of a total of eight KDC councillors sitting around the council table. We don’t think that represents a reflection of Mangawhai’s population.

Last week the council began reviewing the future number of councillors in total and how the council wards will look for the 2022 election. The decision will

centre on whether an additional councillor will be added or whether the wards will retain the existing number of eight councillors.

We will give you more information and how you can take part in the process in the next newsletter.

 

Rate Policy
Kaipara District Council is currently reviewing its Long-Term Plan and as part of that will review its rating policy.

Our councillors Peter Wethey and Jonathan Larsen want to review the way rates for the entire district are levied. When rates were set this year, Mangawhai’s average rate increased by 5.5 per cent while the rate for Dargaville and other areas outside Mangawhai decreased by up to 2 per cent.

Central to our argument for a better system will be the fact that 40 per cent of all council rates are spent on roading and 20 per cent on the cost of council administration. On this basis alone, this cost should be shared equally across the entire district.

 

Committee member profile
We thought it would be helpful to profile Mangawhai Matters committee members over coming weeks so the depth of experience of our membership could be understood.

Committee member Joel Cayford is senior policy adviser to the Planning Institute of New Zealand. His expertise is in planning practice and policy. He has a masters degree in Planning Practice (University of Auckland), and a PhD in Computational Atomic Physics 1976 (University of Canterbury). He is a former North Shore City councillor and Auckland Regional councillor. He has a deep understanding of the workings of the Local Government Act and the Resource Management Act. Joel is currently overseeing the building of a home at Moir Point, is a keen fisherman, and has a photographic exhibition on show at the Mangawhai Artists gallery.

 

§ Want to join the Mangawhai Matters Society Inc as a member and have a say? It’s only $20 per family per year. Please make deposits to 01-0204-0160241-00. Following your payment please email us at mangawhaimatters@gmail.com giving us your name, phone, and address so we can keep in touch.

---