About Council
Contents
Council's priorities and future direction include our vision, values and strategy.
Council's Vision for the district is: 'Strong Community - Strong Future'.
Council's values are:
Ngakau- tapatahi me te Pononga | Integrity and Honesty
Kaore matou a marie i a matou uaratanga a, ka mahi i roto i te huatanga matatika i nga wa katoa. | We will not compromise our values and will act in a trustworthy manner at all times.
Manakuratanga | Leadership
Ka kakama matou i roto i nga take e pa ana ki to tatou iwi whanui ma te whakahaere tikanga, ma te kanohi, kai tautoko arahitanga me te whakaaro. | We will take an active role in issues that affect our community by providing governance, representation, advocacy, guidance and opinion.
Mahorahora me nga Herenga | Openness and Accountability
Ka whakahaeretia a matou mahi i roto i te aria kia kitea ai e te iwi whanui a, kia mohiotia a matou mahinga me nga tutukitanga me te whakaae ano mo aua kawenga. | We will conduct our affairs in a way that allows the community to see and understand our actions and achievements and we will accept responsibility for them.
Tokeke me te Ture o te Tika | Fairness and Equity
Ka mahi matou ia hua ai ka orite te whiwhi mea angitu o te katoa me te noho tokeke i roto i iaga whakatinanatanga o uga kaupapa. | We will act to ensure all have equal opportunities and that we will be unbiased in the implementation of policies.
Whakatutukitanga Whakawaiatanga | Achievements Orientated
Ka whiwhi hua i roto i te auaha me te ngawaritanga. | We will gain results in a timely, innovative and economic manner.
Tikanga Tutohungatanga | Relationships
Ka manako matou i te wahi motuhake o te Tangata Whenua i roto i te iwi whanui a me te whakarite ano i nga kitenga rereketanga, me nga uaratanga o to tatou iwi whanui. | We will acknowledge the special place of Tangata Whenua in our community and respect the different views and values of our community.
Tumanako Manawareka | Satisfying Expectations
Ka ahei tonu matou kia mohio ki nga tumanako o to tatou iwi kainga me te whakamatau kia taea te tairanga teitei o te whakanatanga o te iwi whanui. | We will always look to understand our community's expectations and try to achieve a high level of community satisfaction.
Our strategic priorities are
Economic well-being
Priorities for Council action
- Ōpōtiki Harbour development
- Encourage private investment and development to meet housing needs
- Support the aspirations of Māori to develop their land
- Support local and regional business growth and workforce development
- Immediate focus on the district’s economic recovery from COVID.
Social well-being
Priorities for Council action
- Provide infrastructure e.g. roads and footpaths, water, stormwater, sewerage, waste management, extension of Ōpōtiki Township wastewater reticulation network
- Advocate with and on behalf of Ōpōtiki communities to central government
- Provide recreation facilities including development of walkways, cycleway, horse trails, sports fields, and playgrounds
- Support initiatives for development in the Coast ward
- Proactive provision of infrastructure
- Provision of a District Plan that meets the district’s needs going forward
- Continued expansion of digital connectivity in the district through Evolution Networks
- Community where people feel safe.
Environmental well-being
Priorities for Council action
- Provide and develop infrastructure in an environmentally sustainable way
- Complete the District Plan review and implementation
- Maintain and enhance parks and reserves
- Continued investment in environmentally sustainable coastal infrastructure
- Partner with community groups, iwi and hapū, BOPRC and DOC to undertake environmental restoration projects
Cultural well-being
Priorities for Council action
- Promote and support community events
- Provide sports fields and facilities for community use e.g. pavilions
- Support the outcomes iwi seek from their Treaty Settlements, including any legislated joint governance arrangements, and any orders made under the Marine and Coastal Areas Act
- Support and facilitate programmes to deliver good jobs for local people.
The role of council
In meeting the purpose of Local Government as defined in the Local Government Act 2002, Opotiki District Council has a variety of roles:
- Facilitating solutions to local needs
- Advocacy on behalf the local community with central government, other local authorities and
- other agencies
- Development of local resources
- Management of local infrastructure including network infrastructure (e.g. roads, sewage disposal, water and stormwater, and community infrastructure (libraries, parks and recreational facilities and harbour development)
- Environmental management
- Planning for the future needs of Opotiki District.
To meet these obligations council has two main parts. The first part are the Mayor and Councillors (Elected Members) and the second is the organisation or operations.
Elected Members
Elected Members set the policies and direction of Council, make bylaws and have a regulatory role, determine the expenditure and funding requirements of Council, monitor the performance of the organisation, represent the interests of Opotiki District outside the area, and employ the Chief Executive who in turn, employs all other staff.
The Mayor is elected by the district as a whole and has additional responsibilities including presiding over Council meetings, promoting and representing the interests of the community, acting as the ceremonial head of Council and providing leadership and feedback to other elected members.
The District is made up of three wards: Opotiki (three representatives), Waioeka-Waiotahe (two representatives) and Coast (1 representative).
Organisation
The scope of activities that a Council is involved in is large and often issues are highly technical or complex so the Council appoints a chief executive who in turn appoints a range of skilled staff to carry out the activities the council undertakes on behalf of the community.
The organisation (also 'the Council') implements the decisions of Council, provides advice to Council on managing the activities of the organisation effectively and efficiently, plans and provides accurate reports of the financial and service performance of Council, and employs and provides leadership.
