Key roles chosen on new-look Horizons council

Rachel Keedwell. Photo / Supplied

Horizons regional council entered a new dawn as it sat with six new members and began its second meeting with a karakia and te reo Māori greeting.

The addition of te reo Māori is just one of the initiatives new Horizons Regional Council chairwoman Rachel Keedwell intends.

As well as considering councillor remuneration, the meeting this week approved the council's annual report and chose chairing roles for its committees.

Whanganui councillor Nicola Patrick was rapt to become the chairwoman of Horizons' environment committee. Her deputy will be Palmerston North councillor Wiremu Te Awe Awe.

Her Whanganui colleague David Cotton will continue to chair the council's catchment operations committee, as was his wish. His deputy will be new Tararua councillor Allan Benbow.

The two committees handle the bulk of Horizons' work, Keedwell said. All councillors can attend both.

Benbow will chair the audit, risk and investment committee, with new Horowhenua councillor Emma Clarke as his deputy.

The other new Horowhenua councillor, Sam Ferguson, is to chair the passenger transport committee, formerly chaired by Keedwell. His deputy will be new Ruapehu councillor Weston Kirton, who is already pushing for the Northern Explorer train to stop in Taumarunui.

Keedwell will chair the council's strategy and policy committee, and its regional transport committee, with Palmerston North councillor Jono Naylor as her deputy.