One last council meeting before election for FNDC

Far North District councillors have attended their final meeting before the election that is guaranteed to produce at least three new faces.

Cr Colin Kitchen is retiring after four terms under two mayors, but is challenging for a seat on the Northland Regional Council, while Bay of Islands councillors Dave Hookway and Tania McInnes are pursuing the mayoralty only.

The public segment of Thursday's meeting in Kaikohe included deputations from Bay of Islands Watchdogs and the Friends of Kerikeri Domain, funding for a new asset condition assessment programme, new bylaws on drainage and earthworks, and adoption of the annual report. It also discussed the results of the latest resident opinion survey, and deferred a report about Kerikeri Domain governance to the next council.

Matters discussed in the public-excluded part of the meeting included plans for a southern dog pound, Panguru flood mitigation, a loan to Manaea Footprints of Kupe Centre at Opononi, and Te Pu o Te Wheke civic hub in Kaikohe.