Simon Henderson looks at highlights from the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board.
- Local government discussed.
The Waikouaiti Coast Community Board met Local Government New Zealand community boards executive committee zone 6 representative Regan Horrell for a wide-ranging discussion about the future of local government following a review last year.
Deputy chairman Andy Barratt, filling in for chairman Alasdair Morrison who sent his apologies and was absent from the meeting, said some points discussed included the local board’s discretionary fund of $10,000 a year, which has not been increased for decades.
Another discussion point was the role of community boards varied "enormously" around the country.
Also discussed was the remuneration for community board members had not changed in many years, Mr Barratt said.
"There is general agreement that remuneration for community board members does need to be increased if we are going to get more people interested in being on community boards."
- Future Development Strategy explored
The board discussed that it would make a submission on the Dunedin City Council Future Development Strategy, focusing on the North Coast area. Concerns were raised about the lack of detail regarding development in the area, infrastructure issues, and assumptions about housing growth.
The board plans to request further consideration of these aspects in their submission, in particular the adequate provision of sewage treatment in the area given expected future housing growth in the area.
The board also acknowledged the need to address coastal erosion and climate change risks.
The board appreciated the future development strategy did have some sensible components but emphasised the need for alignment between development and environmental considerations.
- Concern about vegetation
In his deputy chairman's report, Mr Barratt highlighted concerns about vegetation on rural roads, citing increased fire risks and safety hazards due to poor maintenance.
The board plans to submit a proposal to the Dunedin City Council for increased maintenance funding to address these issues.
