About Council
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 Community Priorities are
| Whakaarotau Tuatahi: Whanaungatanga Ka whai tikanga ki te whakarite, te whakawā me te whakamau i ngā hononga pono ki ngā iwi, ngā hapū, te hāpori me te hunga whaipānga. | Community Priority One: Strong relationships and partners. We strive to establish, develop and maintain genuine relationships with iwi and hapū, community groups and stakeholders. |
| Kei kitea e mātou te Kaunihera ki te hononga take nui me te mahi tahi ki ngā hua ā-tahi nei, e puta atu. Ko te hiahia o te hāpori, kia pono nei te hononga ki te mana whenua,. Ko te maramatanga nei, he mea nui te whanaungatanga, kia tutuki i ngā whakaarotau. | As a council, we recognise the importance of relationships of purpose and the value in working with partners toward shared outcomes. Our community wants Council to have a meaningful relationship with mana whenua. There is an understanding that strong relationships are essential, in the achievement of all our priorities. |
| Whāinga 1
Mā te urunga o ngā hāpori, o te mana whenua hoki, kia tau ai ngā hononga pono | Goal 1 Build respectful relationships with partners through engagement. |
| Whāinga 2 Me hāngai tika te mahi o te Kaunihera, kia tautoko ana i ngā hua o ngā hāpori me te mana whenua | Goal 2 Ensure our service delivery aligns with supporting shared outcomes for our partners. |
| Whāinga 3 Me hāngai tika ngā ratonga o te Kaunihera ki te tautoko ake ngā hua o ngā hāpori me te mana whenua. | Goal 3 Align how we deliver services to better support shared outcomes for partners. |
| Whāinga 4 Whakamahukitia ngā huarahi o te Kaunihera kia mana ai ngā whanake me ngā whakaarotau o ngā iwi. | Goal 4 Simplify our regulatory processes to enable development and the priorities of iwi. |
| Whāinga 5
Kia mana, kia hapai i runga i te kotahitanga ki ngā mana whakahaere me ētahi atu hunga whai panga. | Goal 5
Influence and advocate as a collective to central government and other stakeholders. |
| Whakaarotau Tuarua: Kia pūmau ki ngā hiahia o te rohe Ka hāpai me te manawa reka ki ngā pūmautanga o te rohe | Community Priority Two: Investment in our district We advocate for and attract high-quality investment across our district. |
| Ko te haumitanga i ngā whakatipuranga me te orangatonutanga o ngā hāpori. Ko te tikanga o te Kaunihera, ko te whakawhanaungatanga me ngā hononga, kia anga whakamua i ngā āheinga. E mōhio ana te Kaunihera, ka maha ake ngā mahi me te orangatonutanga o ngā tāngata nā te nui atu o ngā ahumoni me ngā pakihi. Ko te mea nui o te rohe, mā te mahi haumi ka ea ngā tōnuitanga. | Investment in our district will support growth and create sustained well-being for our communities. Council’s role is to create relationships and connections to drive opportunities. We recognise increased commercial and business activity drives jobs and well-being for our people. Our community sees the important role investment can make in achieving prosperity. |
| Whāinga 1
Me tika katoa ngā kaupapa me ōna tikanga e tautoko ana i ngā momo haumi (ara, te mahere whaitua, te mahere o te rohe, ngā mahere matua) kia whanake, kia mārama, kia pono. | Goal 1 Ensure mechanisms which support investment (e.g., spatial plan, district plan, masterplans) are developed, understood, and fit for purpose. |
| Whāinga 2 Me matua mōhio, me matua mātau ki ngā aheinga me te mārama ki ōna haumi roroa me ngā utu mai i ngā haumitanga | Goal 2 Be well informed and prepared to act on opportunities with a clear understanding of the long term costs and returns from the investment. |
| Whāinga 3 Me hāngai tika i ngā tikanga me ngā tukanga hei tautoko i ngā haumitanga noa atu nei. | Goal 3 Align decisions and actions to support a return on current investments. |
| Whāinga 4 Whārikihia ngā whakaritenga o ngā pūmautanga o te anamata, hei awhi i ngā orangatonutanga e whā o te rohe. | Goal 4 Implement processes to enable future investment to contribute to the four well-beings for our district. |
| Whakaarotau Tuatoru: Orangatonutanga Ka kaingākaunui ki te orangatonutanga, te toi ora me te urunga o ngā hāpori, tumata nei tae noa ki anamata. | Community Priority Three: Well-being is valued We support the well-being, toi ora and engagement of all our communities, now and into the future. |
| E manawanui ana te Kaunihera ki ngā tikanga, mā te āta urunga noa me te whakawhiti kōrero ka whārikihia nei e ngā hāpori. Ko te wāhi nui o te Kaunihera, ki te whakatau nei i ngā ratonga, ngā whakaurunga me ngā kaupapa e tautoko, e whakapai i te orangatonutanga o te hāpori. Ko ngā whakatairanga kitea me ngā whakatairanga whaimōhio e wawatahia nei e te rohe. | Council is committed to making decisions which are informed by our communities through timely engagement and communication. Our overarching role as a council is to ensure the services, facilities, and projects we deliver support and enhance the well-being of our community. This includes visible and informed advocacy of the needs of our district. |
| Whāinga 1 Mahi pū i ngā mahi me te tuku i ngā āheinga kotahitanga mō te hāpori | Goal 1 Continue to deliver our core services and provide opportunities for our community to come together. |
| Whāinga 2 Hei whakakaha, hei tautoko hoki i te orangatonutanga me te toiora i roto i ngā wāhi katoa. | Goal 2 Ensure our places and spaces support and enhance well-being and toi ora. |
| Whāinga 3 Whakatau nei i ngā āhuatanga kia mana ōrite, kia whaimōhio i ngā tikanga katoa. | Goal 3 Implement mechanisms to support equitable and informed decision making. |
| Whāinga 4 Hāpaitia, tautokohia i ngā tāngata e whai kaha nei i te orangatonutanga o te rohe. | Goal 4 Advocate and support others to enhance the well-beings of our district |
| Whakaarotau Tuawha: He ngākau titikaha te hāpori Ka kaingākaunui ki te orangatonutanga, te toi ora me te urunga o ngā hāpori, tumata nei tae noa ki anamata. | Community Priority Four: Our communities are resilient We enable our communities to make informed decisions about resilience and adaptation. |
| E manawanui ana te Kaunihera ki ngā tikanga, mā te āta urunga noa me te whakawhiti kōrero ka whārikihia nei e ngā hāpori. Ko te wāhi nui o te Kaunihera, ki te whakatau nei i ngā ratonga, ngā whakaurunga me ngā kaupapa e tautoko, e whakapai i te orangatonutanga o te hāpori. Ko ngā whakatairanga kitea me ngā whakatairanga whaimōhio e wawatahia nei e te rohe. | Our communities are aware of climate change and want to better understand the risks in order to be prepared, respond, and recover. Council is taking a proactive approach to understand the implications and financial responsibilities and ensuring our communities are not burdened with the impact. |
| Whāinga 1 Mahi pū i ngā mahi me te tuku i ngā āheinga kotahitanga mō te hāpori | Goal 1 Have an understanding of the risks facing our communities and work with others to proactively address these risks |
| Whāinga 2 Hei whakakaha, hei tautoko hoki i te orangatonutanga me te toiora i roto i ngā wāhi katoa. | Goal 2
Enable emergency management to be well planned and delivered using a strengths-based model for our communities. |
| Whāinga 3 Whakatau nei i ngā āhuatanga kia mana ōrite, kia whaimōhio i ngā tikanga katoa. | Goal 3 Ensure strategic infrastructure is identified, planned for, and prioritised. |
| Whāinga 4 Hāpaitia, tautokohia i ngā tāngata e whai kaha nei i te orangatonutanga o te rohe. | Goal 4 Support our communities to adapt and change as needed through our regulatory and planning processes. |
| Whakaarotau Tuarima: Toitū ki te anga whakamua Ka whakaaro nui ki te tiro whakamua me te whakatipu ake o tēnei rohe | Community Priority Five: Growth is sustained over time We plan for a district which is future focused and ready for growth |
| Tokomaha ake nga tāngata o te rohe nei, nā reira, he nui hoki ngā tono me ngā momo whiringa whare. Ko ngā hua o ngā momo whiringa whare mō te rohe, ko te pakaritanga pakihi me ngā mahi, ā, te taituara hoki mō te whānau. Ka anga atu ai te whanake i te rohe nei, ana ko te pūtake nui o ngā whakaritenga hei kōkiri i ngā pūnaha | Our district is growing and there is a demand for a range of housing options. We understand the benefit that housing options brings to the district, such as supporting business growth and jobs, and providing security for our whānau. Council wants to enable development to occur within the district, this includes careful planning and development of supporting infrastructure. |
| Whāinga 1 Kia marama pai i ngā rawa e tautoko ana i ngā pikinga, hei kōkiri whakamua i ngā āhuatanga o te rohe. | Goal 1 Understand the drivers to support growth and utilise the mechanisms we have within our sphere of influence (e.g., targeted, rates, development contributions). |
| Whāinga 2 Mā te āhuatanga mātau ka whakaiti noa nei i te hoko whenua i te rohe. | Goal 2 We work toward limiting land banking though rating mechanisms. |
| Whāinga 3 Kia tautoko, kia hāpaingia i ngā whanake ā-mahi me ōna pukenga auaha huri noa i te rohe nei. | Goal 3 Support and advocate for workforce development and innovation across the district. |
| Whāinga 4 Whakanuia nei te ngākau o te taone hei poka pūm, hei ratonga matua mō te rohe, a, puta noa atu. | Goal 4 Promote our CBD to be a community hub and service centre for our district and wider. |
| Whāinga 5 Kia hira ngā kaupapa here me ngā rautaki mō ngā whakaritenga me ngā pūnaha ki ngā kaupapa matua pū. | Goal 5 Ensure our polices and strategies for planning and infrastructure prioritise growth and development in identified areas. |
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.
