Representation meetings continue in Kaipara

Maungaturoto, Dargaville, Ruawai and Paparoa are to host public meetings on changes to the way Kaipara residents will be represented around the Northland Regional Council table from October – and possible wider local government reform.

Malcolm Nicolson, the regional council’s Chief Executive Officer, says the four meetings follow three others held recently in Te Kopuru, Mangawhai and Kaiwaka, in a bid to bring the district’s community up to speed with a number of pending and potential changes affecting them.

“We’ve been providing information about the outcome of our recent representation review, which includes changes to the way Kaipara residents are going to be represented around our council table after the October local body elections.”

At the Saturday October 12 elections Northlanders will vote for nine regional councillors (one more than currently elected) representing seven, smaller constituencies across Northland.

In the Kaipara district, this change will see voters fall into one of two constituencies:
■ Coastal South (the south/eastern part of the region between Mangawhai and Kokopu, which includes Kaiwaka, Mangawhai Heads, Waipu and Ruakaka.)
■ Kaipara (the south/western part of the region between the Kaipara Harbour and Maropiu. It includes Dargaville, Ruawai and Maungaturoto.)
Mr Nicolson says the upcoming meetings will also cover the latest progress on possible Local Government reform for Northland in the wake of the Far North District Council’s application to form a unitary authority in its district – and the likely programme any reform process will take.
“Lastly, the four meetings will include an opportunity for Kaipara residents to raise any issues they wish to discuss with the regional council.”
“Once again, I’d like to encourage anyone in Kaipara with questions about these issues – or any other aspect of the regional council and its work – to try to make it to a local meeting in their area,” Mr Nicolson says.