Waipa District Council executive committee, from left: Mayor Jim Mylchreest, deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk committee chairs Graham Webber, Marcus Gower, Andrew Brown and Susan O'Regan.
Council and key committee meetings will go ahead as usual thanks to urgent changes to the Local Government Act which come into effect last week.
Earlier in the week Parliament passed the Covid-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Legislation Bill which amends the Local Government Act. The changes enable Council meetings
via audio or visual link to meet quorum requirements.
Prior to the changes, quorum requirements meant at least seven councillors needed to be physically present in Council chambers for a decision to be passed. Now quorum can be met via virtual presence.
Waipā District Council mayor Jim Mylchreest said the changes would mean Council and key committee meetings could continue as usual.
"This is fantastic news because it means Council can continue to make crucial decisions throughout this crisis," he said.
"The challenges posed by Covid-19 require us to adapt to change, so it's great that we are able to adopt new technology and work in a different way.
"We will be able to run most meetings as previously scheduled and we'll also be running our community board meetings as well."
