The CLASSIFIEDS AND COMMUNITY CONTACTS - pg 26/27
NOVEMBER 2015
Produced for the community, by the community
Decision to create larger KaiapoiWoodend ward with only one Community Board will be appealed
Currently Waimakariri has four ward areas - Kaiapoi, Rangiora, WoodendAshley and Oxford-Eyre. Due to population shifts experienced since late 2010 and the district growth, a review set out to realign ward boundaries and reduce the number of wards. Public consultation began earlier in 2015, a hearing panel considered public submissions at the beginning of October and the Council made their final decisions later in the month. The result of which has some residents of the Woodend-Pegasus area feeling like they have lost their community board.
The “contentious” plans for a new ward structure, which is different to what was originally proposed, means they will instead be included in the community board for the larger Kaiapoi-Woodend area. Representation will be 5 members from Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi and 3 from Woodend-Pegasus. The Pegasus Residents’ Group did not see a need to make a submission during the public consultation process as they were happy with what was proposed, the Kaiapoi-Woodend Ward to have two Community Boards with five elected board members to each, with one Board serving the Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi areas and
the other serving the Woodend-Pegasus to Sefton areas.
The new proposal has prompted the Pegasus Residents’ Group to lodge an appeal and object the decision. They will also be working to ensure residents are encouraged to have their say.
The Woodend Community Association will be discussing the decision at their meeting on Monday 2nd November at the Community Centre on School Road at 7.30pm, residents are encouraged to attend this meeting or contact Sarah Nichols, WDC Governance Manager, Phone: 03 311 8900 or 03 327 6834 Email: sarah.nichols@wmk.govt.nz by 25 November if they wish to lodge an appeal. As it stands now, the adopted changes have been publicly notified and, subject to the appeal process, which closes on 25 November, will be forwarded to the Local Government Commission for consideration. The Local Government Commission will make a final determination on the District’s electoral arrangements prior to 11 April 2016. Any changes will then take effect in time for the local body elections scheduled for October 2016.