Inaugural meeting for council

The re-elected Southland mayor and district councillors were sworn in at the council's inaugural meeting yesterday.

Before being sworn in, Mayor Gary Tong said he was looking forward to working with "a very good, sound and secure council".

"The people are Southland ... This is about people - the people that we have been elected to represent."

After the formalities, Mr Tong appointed Ebel Kremer as deputy mayor and announced the chairman of each of the committees of the council.

At the first meeting, councillors also approved the change of its local governance structure after a review project.

Chief executive Steve Ruru explained the "old" community development area subcommittees would become nine community boards: Fiordland, Northern, Ardlussa, Tuatapere Te Waewae, Oraka Aparima, Wallace Takitimu, Oreti, Waihopai Toetoe and Stewart Island Rakiura.

"Over the last four years, council has progressed a community governance review project. An important feature of the community governance concept is that it is exercised by the community themselves, rather than for them or to them."

Councillors also approved a recommendation for proposed elected members' remuneration.

The Remuneration Authority set the pool of funds for the Southland District Council at $396,288, compared with $361,698 from the previous triennium.

This was to be divided between the deputy mayor ($43,493), committee chairpersons ($37,751) and councillors ($30,810).

The council also set its next meeting for December 3.