Cr Penny Smart, Kaipara
A new year brings many different things for the people of Northland but for local elected representatives, 2019 will also bring a local body election.
We thought we'd gauge the thoughts of Northland councillors and give you, the voters and the ratepayers, a chance to hear from them.
The Northern Advocate asked all 42 elected councillors and mayors across Northland's four councils - Northland Regional Council, Whangārei District Council, Kaipara District Council and Far North District Council - the same three questions.
Those questions were: What are you most proud of achieving in this term? Will you be standing again in 2019? and What would you like to see happen in your district (or region) in the future?
Councillors and mayors were given two weeks to respond, via email, to the questions. In total, 29, or almost 70 per cent, replied with their answers.
We're publishing those responses in a series of stories. We'll also be pointing out those who didn't respond.
Nominations for the 2019 local elections will open on July 19 and close on August 16.
Voting documents will be delivered to houses between September 20 and 25. Votes must be in by midday on October 12 and preliminary results will be expected shortly after.
Today we're running the responses from Northland Regional Council. The council has nine councillors including chairman Bill Shepherd. Councillor David Sinclair did not respond.
Bill Shepherd, chairman, coastal north
1.The Class of 2016 Northland Regional Council has achieved a great deal in this term. In my view it all started from a great team-building exercise that we conducted in the first weeks of the new council. Using a motivational speaker and an independent facilitator, councillors and the executive leadership team all agreed on the way that we would work together and treat each other. As a result, we have been able to "chew through some knotty issues" and come out with some great results.
The first of our really important achievements has been the combining of three regional plans, the Water and Soil Plan, the Air Quality Plan and the Coastal Management Plan into a single plan which is less than one quarter the size of the original three plans. In this new Plan, which is still in the "Proposed" stage we have focused on making as many activities as possible "Permitted" with more stringent conditions applied. This will reduce the number of bureaucratic processes that our citizens have to go through while at the same time prescribing better environmental outcomes.
The second of our really important achievements has been the setting in place of our new 10-year Long Term Plan (LTP). This will be the blueprint for Northland's future environment and prosperity. In our Draft LTP we proposed a number of aspirational goals to achieve better water quality, comprehensive pest management and enhanced natural hazard management. During consultation, the community said "let's do it" to the significant rates increase needed to achieve these goals!
2. And yes, I plan to stand again in 2019.
3. For the future, a major focus for the 2019 council will be to ensure that those aspirational goals as set out in the LTP are achieved.
Northland has a bright and exciting future!
Cr Joce Yeoman, coastal north
1. The Proposed Northland Regional Plan – our "rule book' – has been my major focus this term. I led the full council through a series of workshops looking at submissions on the draft and making changes based on these, in my role as chair of the Planning Working Party.
I was the only councillor who sat on the regional plan hearing panel, alongside two experienced independent commissioners. This meant months spent reading submissions and additional legal and technical information, and listening to submitters over five weeks of hearings.
The other key achievement was our new Long Term Plan 2018-2028. It's our vision for Tai Tokerau and sets out how we plan to fund the work we need to do. What's different about this plan is that we went out and talked to people from around Northland before developing the plan. Their priorities became the core of our plan, something which had never happened before!
I pushed very hard to make sure this happened because I strongly believe we need more community involvement in our decision-making, so we determine our region's future together; it's why I've used social media to keep people up to date with what I'm doing, reaching as many people as possible.
2.We've set some very big goals in the Long Term Plan and I'll be standing again in 2019 to make sure they're met. Managing water – its quality and how much is used – is a key issue along with climate change, pest management and increasing biosecurity threats, and building flood infrastructure.
3. Northland is a fantastic place to live, work and play but we need to make sure we balance the use of our natural resources with the need to protect and rejuvenate our environment so future generations can prosper here.
Cr Paul Dimery, coastal central
1. The obvious standout for me was the completion of an aspirational and forward thinking Long Term Plan addressing key issues facing our region. The highlights include:
Pest management both coastal and terrestrial with the completion of the Northland Regional Pest and Marine Management Pathways Plan bringing an innovational addition to our ability to control pests. The identification and funding of High Value Pest Management Areas that will duplicate the outstanding work carried out by the Whangarei Heads community throughout Northland.
The ability to fund the Sports Facility Plan (carried out with Sports Northland) which has identified regional facilities needed to nurture our outstanding talent across a plethora of sports. This will not only nurture our talent but will attract people to our region with the knowledge we have the ability to look after our people within the region from social to elite participation. We will have necessary therapeutic facilities attached.
2. Yes. The current NRC council has worked exceptionally well as a team and this combined with the exceptional staff who work for the NRC and the community involvement which contributes, advises, and guides the direction we are taking encourages me to believe we can continue to achieve great things for the region.
3. The obvious answer is the acknowledgement from central government that Northlanders lives are important and that there is an absolute necessity to complete a four-lane highway from Whangarei to Auckland. There are far too many lives being lost on the highway from Wellsford to Whangarei and this project addresses all of the key priorities identified by central government, resilience, safety and economic advancement.
The cancellation of this project has cost New Zealanders (and visitors) their lives and has resulted in multimillions of dollars lost in social costs. Northlanders lives are more important than saving time getting to and from work.
Cr John Bain, Whangārei urban
1. The NRC has brought many environmental projects into the planning this year and will make a large improvement to Northland over the next years. In my portfolios, roads, we have built four massive bridges in Kaeo, Taipa and Matakohe. To follow will be many safety improvements in the planning stage. The failure is the four lanes to Auckland that has been canned, but, as this is the most important road we live in hope that those in power will see the value and at least start somewhere to put the four lanes into being.
2. I will make a decision in the new year to my future ambitions to represent the Whangarei constituency as the position is where one can make a difference.
3. BETTER ROADS AND FOUR LANES TO AUCKLAND.
Cr Rick Stolwerk, coastal south
1. I am proud of how this council has been improving fresh and coastal waters, river management, flood prevention and pest management. As the Coastal South councillor for Northland Regional Council the most important message I can get across is that we "are all in this together". When elected to council we agree to act for the whole Northland region. Yes we work in our local areas, but to achieve the ambitious goals that we have set in the Long Term Plan we must work together.
The expert advice and practical support that we are able to offer to individuals and community groups that have been established as a result of these environmental improvements is personally satisfying.
One way to demonstrate what is happening in Coastal South, is to highlight one of the recent success stories. The Piroa –Brynderwyns Landcare and Weed Action Group was established by the local community. Through workshops, trapping and working field days this group are successfully co-ordinating pest and weed management over thousands of hectares in their area.
2. YES
3. Continue to improve fresh and coastal waters, river management, flood prevention and pest management. With the technical support and commitment offered by the council and your involvement, we can achieve this.
I would like to hear about other success stories and from those wishing to establish further community groups. Please do not hesitate to contact me or, if you would like to catch up please attend one of my up coming drop in sessions, the next one is Monday, February 4.
Cr Mike Finlayson, Te Hiku
1. Helping to get the Kaitaia flood protection scheme upgrade up and running. The threat of a massive deluge causing Bell's hill to slide into the river and flooding the town has been a serious and ongoing concern of mine.
Chairing the committee overseeing this $15 million project was a valuable and rewarding experience. The committee members, the NRC rivers team and local staff at NRC came up with the best plan to safeguard life and property in my local town. Working together with the community in refining our Long Term Plan we got a lot of support for our "50/50 regional flood protection rate", so much so that we increased it to 70/30 after public consultation. This means that local residents directly affected only have to pay for 30 per cent, the rest coming from the regional rate.
2. Yes, I would love the opportunity to serve another term.
3.The Northland Regional Council currently supports 122 Landcare groups working together in what is called the Kiwicoast, where communities are working to protect the habitat of kiwi (and everything else native). This network stretches from Mangawhai in the south to Taipa in the Far North. I would love to see this type of effort stretch out to include more of the central and western areas of Northland. The NRC will be working hard to support these communities to build their capacity to exercise guardianship/kaitiakitanga and bring back our native birdlife and help clean up our waterways. We will all benefit from a cleaner and more diverse natural environment. Northland is a great place to live but I'm sure that together we can make it even better!
Cr Justin Blaikie, Hokianga-Kaikohe
1. Through the natural resources working party which I chair seeing the development and funding being allocated for an ambitious soil conservation programme which focuses on highly erodible hill country across Northland, this programme will greatly reduce the amount of sediment entering Northland's waterways which ultimately ends up choking our estuaries and harbours. NRC is tripling the size of its poplar and willow nursery which will mean there will be more trees available to stabilise Northland's soils and river banks. I have also championed manuka as a riparian and wetland plant because the latest research has shown its roots can effectively reduce nitrate and E. coli levels in the soil thus providing for improved water quality.
2. Yes I will be standing again in 2019, it has been a huge privilege to represent my constituency on the council and I am feeling very positive in terms of where Northland is heading in the environmental space, we still face significant challenges but I am constantly blown away at what our landowners and community groups are doing to improve Northland's natural heritage.
3. I would like to see NRC funding youth employment and training initiatives that focus on improving water quality through the establishment of large native plant nurseries and riparian planting programmes, these youth could also be employed to assist our many community groups tackle pests which threaten Northland's indigenous biodiversity.
Cr Penny Smart, Kaipara
1. Firstly, as a councillor and a council is the completion of a forward thinking and very progressive Long Term Plan. This guiding document has set Northland up for the next 10 years to really make progress in the environmental sustainability of our wonderful regional.
Being part of and contributing to such an awesome NRC team comes a close second for me. With five new councillors we have turned up the ante on our core environmental roles. We have a very capable and committed staff and CEO. They are a pleasure to work with as is the case with my fellow councillors. The diversity of our councillors, and the ability to work as a cohesive team is what has us achieve Northland's environmental goals. Thirdly I am proud of getting out into the community of Northland and particularly the Kaipara constituency. Meeting, conversing and passing on information is a large component of being a councillor. We have great people and organisations in Northland including many schools now participating and achieving high certification through our Enviroschools programmes.
2. Most definitely
3. • Continue to build collaboration and cohesiveness of all environmental agencies that operate in Northland.
• Incorporating Matauranga Maori and kaitiakitanga in everything that we do.
• An integrated waste management system based in Northland that is affordable and environmentally sustainable.
• More money coming from central government for much-needed infrastructure; such as roading, wastewater and stormwater management systems and full internet accessibility throughout all of Northland.
• Continuation of work with combined councils and affected communities regarding mitigation and adaptation for current and future climate change consequences.