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Local Democracy Reporting
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Local Democracy Reporting - Latest News [Page 35]
Airport Spend Adds To Rate Rise
Wednesday, 11 March 2020, 3:51 pm | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
Masterton District Council has proposed significant investment at the town's Hood Aerodrome. PHOTO/WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE/FILE Council-led development of Masterton Airport will improve Wairarapa’s resilience and its bid for a return to commuter flights, ... More >>
Regional Council Prepares For Worst-case Drought
Wednesday, 11 March 2020, 3:35 pm | Charlotte Jones - Local Democracy Reporter
In times of drought, the regional council could restrict the right to take water from aquifers and rivers across the region. At an extraordinary council meeting held yesterday morning, Bay of Plenty Regional Council elected members approved a process ... More >>
Bike Walk Marlborough ‘Runs Its Course’
Wednesday, 11 March 2020, 3:31 pm | Chloe Ranford - Local Democracy Reporter
Council walking and cycling co-ordinator Braden Prideaux says dissolving the Bike Walk Marlborough Trust frees up more time for him and volunteer trustees. CREDIT: CHLOE RANFORD/LDR A walking and cycling group in Marlborough has decided to wind ... More >>
Whitebaiters Wait On Survey
Wednesday, 11 March 2020, 3:21 pm | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
Diane Laing says the ongoing whitebait consultation needed better timing and more communication. PHOTO/WAIRARAPA-TIMES-AGE/FILE Lifelong Wairarapa whitebaiters are waiting to hear the results of a long-running consultation on the future of the catch ... More >>
Land-based Kingfish Aquaculture Pilot Brings Major NZ Opportunity
Monday, 9 March 2020, 10:57 am | Susan Botting - Local Democracy Reporter
Kingfish swim in a tank at the NIWA Marine Research Centre at Bream Bay, south of Whangarei. A $19.8M on-land aquaculture venture is to be set up at the site to serve as a model for others to get into the industry in the same way. Northland’s major ... More >>
UPDATE: Wairoa Council Preparing For Virus Lockdown
Thursday, 5 March 2020, 5:02 pm | Aaron van Delden - Local Democracy Reporter
It is more than 10,000km from the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak, but Wairoa District Council is preparing for a potential lockdown. Council staff will this weekend test whether they can use council IT systems remotely, in case an outbreak of the ... More >>
‘Social Deprivation’ A Factor In Lakes DHB Deficit – CEO
Thursday, 5 March 2020, 4:26 pm | Felix Desmarais - Local Democracy Reporter
The head of the Lakes District Health Board says social deprivation is a significant driver behind its deficit of nearly $6.4 million in the year to date, and a public health expert says the inequalities are the result of neo-liberal reforms. In December, ... More >>
SWDC Takes Short Term Pain For Farm Gain
Thursday, 5 March 2020, 4:23 pm | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
Repairs to a major South Wairarapa District Council [SWDC] property asset have taken a bite out of the estate’s profits. Work on upgrades to Pain Farm near Martinborough has limited the income generated by its tenancy. The estate is the single, most-valuable ... More >>
Districts Step Up Virus Plans
Thursday, 5 March 2020, 4:16 pm | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
As central government confirmed a second case of coronavirus in New Zealand, Carterton and Masterton District Councils have taken further steps to manage a potential pandemic. Local authorities, major event organisers, and other organisations are monitoring ... More >>
Nixon Welcomes People Power
Thursday, 5 March 2020, 4:09 pm | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
Tina Nixon says Masterton District Council’s forthcoming consultation on its big issues offers a chance for people power. The Masterton public will get a chance to comment on its annual plan later this month. The big-ticket items will be the future ... More >>
Camping Fines Add Up In Busy Summer
Thursday, 5 March 2020, 4:05 pm | Aaron van Delden - Local Democracy Reporter
The 2019/20 summer season has proven to be a busy one for Gisborne District Council, with big increases in freedom camping infringements and requests for service. The council has issued 41 fines to people who have flouted its freedom camping bylaw ... More >>
The Truth About SNAs
Thursday, 5 March 2020, 3:56 pm | Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter
The trouble all stems from the government's new National Policy Statements on indigenous biodiversity and freshwater management. Councils will have to give effect to these by listing significant natural areas and wetlands in district and regional plans, ... More >>
Breakaway Kaikoura Ratepayers Urge Council To “get Real”
Thursday, 5 March 2020, 3:52 pm | Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter
Residents of Kaikoura's east coast communities are pressing ahead with a bid to break away from the Kaikoura District Council and become part of Marlborough - whether or not the government is keen. ECCO (East Coast Community Organisation) members including ... More >>
Vacancies Filled After By-election Flop
Wednesday, 4 March 2020, 11:50 am | Charlotte Jones - Local Democracy Reporter
ENSURING REPRESENTATION: Two members of the community were appointed to the Murupara Community Board this week after two elections failed to attract any candidates.CHARLOTTEJONES/LDR After falling short of candidates at two elections, Murupara Community Board has ... More >>
Awatarariki Hearings Continue, “only Luck No One Died”
Wednesday, 4 March 2020, 11:42 am | Charlotte Jones - Local Democracy Reporter
DECISION MAKERS: Independent commissioners Trevor Robinson, Fraser Campbell, Rob van Voorthuysen and Rauru Kirikiri will hear one more day of submissions before deliberating on Thursday. CHARLOTTEJONES/LDR Experts say a debris flow at Awatarariki is more ... More >>
Leaky Pipes Worsen MDC Water Woes
Wednesday, 4 March 2020, 11:29 am | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
Masterton's Waingawa River has been running low this summer. PHOTO/WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE/EMMA BROWN As the on/off water bans continue in Masterton, a national water body says the district’s infrastructure is still way below standard. Masterton District Council ... More >>
Lakes Fail Water Quality Target, But Still Safe To Swim
Wednesday, 4 March 2020, 11:12 am | Felix Desmarais - Local Democracy Reporter
Lakes Water Quality Society president John Gifford at Lake Rotorua. Stephen Parker / Rotorua Daily Post / LDR Twelve of Rotorua’s lakes failed a key water quality test in 2018/19, but the regional council says they are currently safe to ... More >>
SWDC “out of time” for May hearing
Friday, 28 February 2020, 1:44 pm | Marcus Anselm - Local Democracy Reporter
South Wairarapa District Council [SWDC] ran out of time to hit a May deadline for its proposal for upgrades to sewage treatment in Featherston, says chief executive Harry Wilson. More >>
Controversial Civic Centre Upsize Goes Ahead
Friday, 28 February 2020, 1:40 pm | Susan Botting - Local Democracy Reporter
New upsized $48 million Whangarei civic centre to be build on former RSA's bowling green in picture - part of a new civic precinct. (Photo Northern Advocate NB single use only) Whangarei ratepayers are to get an upsized $48 million new civic centre ... More >>
Rates Rise ‘worth A Weekly Cuppa’
Friday, 28 February 2020, 1:38 pm | Aaron van Delden - Local Democracy Reporter
Gisborne city ratepayers will be short a cup of coffee a week, a district councillor says, with residential rates set to go up by 6.4 percent, on average, from July. The “cup of coffee” analogy was used by Larry Foster yesterday as the council ... More >>
