Ratepayers are urging the council to focus on infrastructure, not festivals after FNDC announced local business funding boosts.
New funding from the Far North’s community boards is expected to benefit local businesses and attract off-peak visitors.
But the spending has raised eyebrows among ratepayers and a political hopeful who argue the council should focus on infrastructure, not festivals.
The Far North District Council last week announced a number of local businesses and event organisers have received small grants aimed at boosting off-peak tourism and supporting community initiatives.
Among the recipients are the Kaitāia Business Association, which was granted $7500 for CCTV monitoring costs, and the South Hokianga Growers Market, which received $1445 for promotional material and sun protection.
In the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Ward, three major events were awarded funding, including Savour Northland which was granted $10,000.
Another event, Koast Arts Trail, was granted $5000 to help promote the Labour Weekend event that connects artists with audiences and aims to ensure long-term sustainability for Northland’s art ecosystem.
Davina Smolders – Act local candidate for the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa ward said Far North ratepayers want the council to stick to its knitting.
“That means focusing on core services: well-maintained roads, reliable water systems, stormwater infrastructure, rubbish and recycling, and land use planning.
“We don’t need the council picking winners by handing out grants to select businesses. If the goal is to support local enterprise, the best thing the council can do is keep rates low so people have more money in their own pockets to spend at the businesses they choose, not the ones chosen for them.”
She added that most businesses don’t expect handouts, but they do expect decent infrastructure and workable bylaws.
“When the council gets those basics right, Far North businesses will have more confidence to grow and create jobs.”
Smolders said families have tightened their belts in response to rising prices, and the council should do the same.
FNDC group manager for strategic relationships Jacine Warmington said the council’s mission is to support its people and create great spaces, through its community boards.
“FNDC is not alone in this mission, as the purpose of all councils in Aotearoa New Zealand is to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of communities in the present and for the future – as outlined under Section 10 of the Local Government Act."
“In the Far North, the council’s community board funding policy aligns closely with this purpose by directing grant funding towards projects that enhance community outcomes and wellbeing. This funding is distributed through our three community boards made up of members voted in during each local election.”
Warmington added that each year the grant funding each community board receives varies, depending on the number of ratepayers within the ward they represent.
“Community boards are conscientious about ratepayer costs and look for opportunities to provide seed funding or where funding can be used to leverage other funding opportunities.”
“The boards take their responsibility with ratepayers’ funding seriously – if there are any concerns raised at the time the application is received, they may defer the application while further information is sought, allowing them to make an informed decision. It is not uncommon for grants to be made in lesser amounts than requested, or for funding granted to be tagged to only be spent on specific items in provided budgets.”
She added that while many of the activities and projects they receive applications for can be seen by some as “nice to have”, they bring communities together and lead to more co-operation and unity and help to reduce anti-social activities.
“When people feel proud of their communities and have a sense of belonging, they are less likely to cause damage or harm to their communities. Building this kind of community cohesion also means that when there is an emergency (such as Cyclone Gabrielle), communities are much more likely to pull together and support each other.”
Kerikeri resident Jill Johnston believes the council should focus on fixing sewerage, rubbish, roads and reduce rates.
“Present performance of the current council has activated myself and others to spend our retirement days in protest. It is a protest we don’t want to have, but feel we must be heard and action taken. It’s the constant waste of ratepayers money on wellbeing projects that we find absurd, when council has had to borrow millions of dollars just to stay afloat.”
She said the council’s core services are to provide and maintain roads, rubbish and reticulation, meaning water infrastructure.
“They have gone off the tracks involving themselves in perceived social work that should get funding elsewhere, not ratepayers. We have geriatric water pipes that send contractors on a daily basis fixing bursts and leaks. This affects water quality. Roads through the entire north that have not seen any maintenance and are perilous… and yet FNDC can throw money at local businesses called ‘a positive boost’. How is this a cost to ratepayers and why is this more important than fixing the sewerage systems etc.”