A Word from the Mayor

On behalf of the 2019 elected council I welcome you to the regular column in the North Canterbury News.

First and fore most I wish to congratulate the newly elected councilors and Hanmer Springs community board members. In the coming weeks Community committees will be elected and I urge you all to consider and engage in this process and represent your community. To live in a district that has individuals who are willing to participate in governance at this level demonstrates the passion we all have for our district and ensure it continues to be a great place to” live, work and play”.

I am excited with the new team and look forward to strong input from them as we settle into the business of good governance.

The first meeting on 24th October following the triennial election will primarily be a ceremonial meeting with the swearing in of the new council and some procedural matters.

A two-day induction is planned for councilors to develop an understanding of the subjects that are relevant to local government and the opportunity for them to contribute to the overall strategic direction of Hurunui District Council both from a shared and individual perspective.

During my first week I attended the Together Hurunui Social Networking meeting, the guest speaker was Katherine Peet from Network Waitangi, on Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 2019, I also attended the AmberleyNZ meeting as a quest and witnesses first hand their energy and focus towards unlocking the town’s potential as retail destination.

As Chair of the Hurunui Health Services Development group our bi-monthly meeting paid attention to ante and postnatal care across the district, the committee welcomed new parents to this discussion with some fruitful outcomes within this critical area of care.

I have several LGNZ workshops to attend in the next month or two when I look forward to connecting with other Mayors across the region.

Nga mihi

Marie

“ He waka eke noa – we are all in this boat together”