Vince Cocurullo: Meet council, share ideas for local infrastructure at Whangārei A&P Show

Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo says council will be able at the Whangārei A&P show. Photo / WDC

Vince Cocurullo is Mayor of Whangārei.

OPINION

On December 7, our council will be at the A&P Show ready to talk about what we do, why we’re doing it, and how you can have your say.

I’ve always felt that one of the most important things we can do as a council is to be open and active with how we communicate, and to me that means meeting face to face.

At last year’s A&P Show, we talked to hundreds of visitors about where they wanted to see their funds spent in council’s 2024-34 Long Term Plan.

The depth and breadth of conversation was good to see, with people wanting to know about everything, from the value they get from their rates to where to walk their dogs.

We’re happy to talk about anything relating to council, and at the A&P Show we can, literally, talk until the cows come home.

This year, we’ll be focusing on explaining council’s core responsibilities, as part of the lead-up to the 2025 local elections.

Our core functions include the basic infrastructure needs such as roads, rubbish, water, sewerage and stormwater.

These are the building blocks of a healthy district, and Whangārei should be proud of how well our district manages them.

At this year’s A&P Show, we’ll have activities and giveaways for the kids, along with free fruit for healthy snacking. Max the education dog will be at the stand with us, helping us explain how to be a responsible animal owner over the summer period.

There will be staff and elected members available to talk through any questions, concerns or ideas you might have about our district.

These sorts of events offer a great opportunity to speak to us in person, rather than by social media, email or over the phone.

It’s amazing how much of a difference it can make to speak to someone directly who has the correct information.

This is the piece that I think is often missing in modern communication, where we rely so heavily on digital or online channels.

We can avoid a lot of misunderstandings by talking face to face, especially when the topics are complicated or sensitive.

I have made this a focus with our council, and we’ve had great feedback from our community about this approach.

In addition to the A&P Show, our elected members and staff will be out and about over the summer months at a variety of festivals and events, starting with the Whangārei District Christmas Festival.

You’ll see us at the Endless Summer Festival events, and at our community favourites such as the Fritter Festival.

Anywhere you see us, please come up and have a chat. We’re there because of you, and we’d love to talk to you in person.

Our A&P Show site will be right by the main entrance so you can’t miss us. We’ll see you there.

See our full series of events on our website at www.wdc.govt.nz/Events