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Local Democracy Reporting
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Local Democracy Reporting - Latest News [Page 169]
Book A Marae And Its Community Will Thrive
Friday, 3 July 2020, 10:15 am | Charlotte Jones - Local Democracy Reporter
A Te Ao Maori answer to Airbnb looks set to provide local marae with a constant revenue stream. Three local marae have been selected to be a part of new Maori venture Book a Marae, essentially an online booking system not dissimilar to Airbnb. Iramoko ... More >>
Dust Settles On Waiewe Reserve
Friday, 3 July 2020, 10:13 am | Charlotte Jones - Local Democracy Reporter
Following outcry from neighbours, the Whakatane Mountain Bike Club has withdrawn its request to create mountain bike tracks on the Waiewe Reserve. This is despite a consultant recommending to Whakatane District Council that one of the proposed ... More >>
Whangaroa Maori Call For Better Planning To Manage Challenges From Unprecedented Local Growth
Wednesday, 1 July 2020, 4:14 pm | Susan Botting - Local Democracy Reporter
. Whangaroa Maori are calling for better Far North District Council planning to deal with their local area's unprecedented growth. They say lack of council planning for fast-growing settlements in their district is causing problems for the communities’ ... More >>
Drone ‘mosaic’ Helps Forestry Catch Cracks, Erosion Before Compliance Failure
Tuesday, 30 June 2020, 4:24 pm | Chloe Ranford - Local Democracy Reporter
A drone "mosaic" of harvested forestry blocks is letting Marlburians see the wood for the trees, and could cut down environmental issues. Marlborough company GeoInsight Limited is using drones, 360-degree cameras and an e-bike to "stitch ... More >>
Kerikeri Residents Lose Faith In Council’s Latest ETA For New Wastewater Treatment Plant Completion
Tuesday, 30 June 2020, 4:22 pm | Susan Botting - Local Democracy Reporter
Angry Kerikeri residents say they have no faith their town’s new $27 million wastewater treatment plant will be working by January. “We were told by Far North District Council we would have reticulated sewerage to our properties by the end of 2017,” ... More >>
West Coast Regional Council Adopts Annual Plan With Nil Rate Rise
Tuesday, 30 June 2020, 4:18 pm | Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter
The West Coast Regional has adopted its annual plan for the coming financial year, confirming a nil rate increase. The council has agreed to borrow up to $750,000 from the Local Government Funding Agency if required, at an interest rate of about 1% ... More >>
Rotorua Lakes Council Draft Annual Plan Revisions Recommended By Committee
Tuesday, 30 June 2020, 4:17 pm | Felix Desmarais - Local Democracy Reporter
Rotorua Lakes Council draft Annual Plan revisions recommended by committee A general rates freeze and a 4 per cent targeted rates rise will soon be considered for Rotorua, following public feedback. The proposed targeted rates rise has dropped 0.7 per cent. ... More >>
Beachfront Residents Left In Dark Over Erosion Plan
Tuesday, 30 June 2020, 4:12 pm | Aaron van Delden - Local Democracy Reporter
Surging tides eroded several metres of land in front of three Wainui properties last September. Photo: Paul Rickard / The Gisborne Herald - single use only Wainui residents feel left in the dark over Gisborne District Council’s management of ... More >>
Watercare Earmarks $57.5m To Recommission Dam
Friday, 26 June 2020, 4:17 pm | Steve Forbes - Local Democracy Reporter
Watercare is planning to spend $57.5 million to recommission a mothballed dam in Hūnua to help in the fight against Auckland's water shortages. The Hays Creek Dam was built in 1967. It is the smallest of the Hūnua dams and was originally designed ... More >>
Tararua Rates Hike Slashed
Friday, 26 June 2020, 4:11 pm | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
Tararua District councillor Peter Johns said he hoped to see a focus on the regions as New Zealand recovers from the covid-19 lockdown. Representatives in the district, which covers parts of northern Wairarapa and inland Hawke’s Bay, confirmed an average ... More >>
Lessons Learned In ‘comedy Of Errors’ Toilet Project
Friday, 26 June 2020, 4:07 pm | Aaron van Delden - Local Democracy Reporter
Lessons have been learned through the beleaguered construction of a new $928,000 toilet block for Gisborne’s inner harbour, district council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann says. “No one wants to kind of say, ‘Well, yeah, this is our issue’ ... More >>
Three-year Battle Over South Auckland Nightclub’s Liquor Licence
Monday, 22 June 2020, 5:07 pm | Steve Forbes - Local Democracy Reporter
A group of Manukau business owners have been fighting for more than three years against a nightclub’s plans to renew its liquor license after a shooting and ongoing compaints about the behaviour of its patrons. The Vava’u Lahi Night Club in Manukau’s ... More >>
Survey Says Carterton Residents Not Getting Bang For Rates Buck
Monday, 22 June 2020, 4:49 pm | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
Almost two thirds of Carterton residents quizzed in a recent district survey said they did not feel they were getting value for money from the council. Carterton councillors and senior staffers will discuss ways to win back public sentiment at a meeting tomorrow. ... More >>
Rotorua Housing Strategy Promises To Enable ‘thousands’ Of Homes
Monday, 15 June 2020, 11:35 am | Felix Desmarais - Local Democracy Reporter
Thousands of new homes could be built in Rotorua as a result of a proposed new strategy for housing in the city. 1. The Housing and Thriving Communities Strategic Framework document. Photo / Felix Desmarais / LDR The draft strategy, created by the Rotorua ... More >>
Residents Fed Up With Freedom Campers, Says Councillor
Monday, 15 June 2020, 11:33 am | Aaron van Delden - Local Democracy Reporter
Kaiti Beach residents are fed up with freedom campers, says Gisborne district councillor Larry Foster. Gisborne District Council banned freedom camping in Marina Park last September after complaints about overcrowding and campers showering and washing dishes ... More >>
Ōtāhuhu Business Owners Fight Council Plans To Slash Funding For Town Centre Upgrade
Monday, 15 June 2020, 11:29 am | Steve Forbes - Local Democracy Reporter
A south Auckland business association is fighting council plans to delay the final stages of its town centre upgrade as part of budget cutbacks. Ōtāhuhu Business Association claims it now has over 2000 signatures on a petition it launched this ... More >>
New ‘regional Park’ Backed For Wairau River
Monday, 15 June 2020, 11:28 am | Chloe Ranford - Local Democracy Reporter
Marlborough Landscape Group members on a field trip earlier this year to scope out the Wairau River "regional park" proposal. CREDIT: SUPPLIED A new regional park alongside the Wairau River has been backed, with a councillor saying it was ... More >>
Counties Manukau DHB Battles Surgery Backlog
Thursday, 11 June 2020, 10:27 am | Steve Forbes - Local Democracy Reporter
Counties Manukau Health says it had to defer between 1400 and 1600 elective surgery operations due to Covid-19 and it is now looking at reducing the backlog with the much needed funding boost it received in last month’s budget. But according to ... More >>
Council Backtracks On Endeavour Models, Agrees To Consultation
Thursday, 11 June 2020, 10:26 am | Aaron van Delden - Local Democracy Reporter
“Talk to us — that’s the whole point,” said a protester at this morning’s extraordinary meeting of Gisborne district councillors as they voted unanimously to revoke their earlier decision to install models of James Cook’s Endeavour in ... More >>
Hotline Calls For Help With Food Most Common In Lockdown
Thursday, 11 June 2020, 10:23 am | Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter
Running out of food during the Covid-19 lockdown was the reason most Coasters called the civil defence hotline for help, it has emerged. West Coast Emergency Management director Claire Brown briefed the Regional Council yesterday on the work done over ... More >>
